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NANCY AND .MAK(]UERITE 




COFYRIGHr 
1910 BY 
THE PENN 
PUBLISHING 
COMPANY 



(0:CLA26??577 


Introduction 


A PREVIOUS book, ‘‘ The Admiral’s Granddaughter,” 
told the story of little IS'ancy Beaumont, who lived at 
Beaumont Corners, on the old family estate, with her 
grandfather, the Admiral, Aunt Sylvia, her old 
mammy, Sylvanus, Aunt Sylvia’s son, and Betty, the 
housemaid. She has many animal pets, chief among 
them “Jessie,” her beautiful mare. She is ready to 
sell Jessie for the love of her college brother. Jack • 
but after all she is spared that pain, and has a happy 
ending to an eventful journey in a freight car. 


Contents 


I. 

The Coming of the Comptons 

• 


9 

II. 

The Welcome 




17 

III. 

Aunt Sylvy , 




25 

IV. 

Christmas in the Air . 




34 

V. 

A Real Santa Claus 




48 

VI. 

Carols and Cats . 




59 

VII. 

The Admiral’s Guests . 




69 

VIII. 

Roger Wins a Star 




80 

IX. 

The Wood Road , 




90 

X. 

Aunt Sylvia’s Secrets . 




98 

XI. 

Gingerbread 




109 

XII. 

An Old Lace Scarf 




120 

XIII. 

Early Morning Echoes 




134 

XIV. 

Nancy Makes a Call . 




144 

XV. 

Sylvanus is Missing 




154 

XVI. 

“ Aunt Sylvia’s Shop ” 




163 

XVII. 

The Secret is Out 




173 

XVIII. 

The Admiral’s Acres . 




186 

XIX. 

A Journey Begun . 




198 


5 






Illustrations 


Nancy and Marguerite . . . . 

Out In the Barn 

“ How Ole You S’pose I is, Honey ? ” 

She Examined the Scarf . . . . 
The Sun was Streaming Into the Library 


The Admiral’s Little Housekeeper. 


PAGE 

Frontispiece 

• 137*^ 

• 193*^ 


7 


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The 

Admiral’s Little Housekeeper 

CHAPTER I 

THE COMING OF THE COMPTONS 

In the streets of Potterville the snow lay like a thick, 
soft carpet of white, and still the great flakes came 
floating down ; but the wind had blown itself away, and 
Mrs. Potter, looking out of one window after another, 
announced to her husband that the storm would soon be 
over. 

“It’s thinning out,” she said in her crisp, decided 
tone. “I’m glad for Nancy and the old Admiral. 
Leave your paper a minute, and listen to me, can’t you ? 
Did you take in the sense of what I told you this 
morning ? Did you realize that it’s to-night that 
whole Compton tribe are coming, with Jack Beau- 
mont, to see what a country Christmas is like ? And 
Nancy means to show them. She has her head full of 
plans ; I’ve been some help to her, and so have others 
in town, but ’tisn’t yet time to make known what we’ve 
9 


10 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

done. Did you hear me when I told you she stopped 
at the gate this morning, and said she and Aunt 
Sylvia, as she calls her, and that Betty of theirs, have 
been at work for days, getting ready for the com- 
pany ? ” 

“ Did she stop for any special reason this morning ? ’* 
asked Mr. Potter, bending his head so that his eyes 
were hidden. 

“ You know, well as I do, that I’m in the habit of 
stepping out now and then, with a lump of sugar for 
Jessie,” said Mrs. Potter, her Iface slightly flushed. 
“ That pleases Nancy better than a present for herself 
would, and she tells me the news at their house, if there 
is any. YTe call it ‘ The Gate Exchange,’ Nancy and I.” 

‘‘ That’s all right,” and now Mr. Potter let his eyes 
be seen. “ Any more to tell a poor man who works 
hard all day ? ” 

“ There’s a little more,” said his wife, her face relax- 
ing into a smile. “ The Admiral and Nancy drove past 
while you were eating supper; I heard their sleigh- 
bells ; that was when I ran in here ; you didn’t ask me 
what ’twas ; I suppose you knew I’d have to tell, before 
long. The Admiral seems to have taken a new lease of 
life this winter.” 

‘‘ His mind’s easy about his grandson, now Jack has 


11 


The Coming of the Comptons 

buckled down to study,” said Mr. Potter, “ and he’s let 
his love for Nancy, that he’s hidden under that crusty 
manner of his, get the upper hand of him ; that’s why 
he’s feeling younger.” 

“ I believe you’re right,” said his wife, looking at him 
with considerable respect. “ Nancy said that coming 
back from the station there’d be the General and Mrs. 
Compton and maybe one or two of the children in their 
sleigh with the Admiral, and Mr. Hobbs is to drive the 
rest of the party. S-sh ! Isn’t that the train whistle 
now ? I thought so. High time, too — fifteen minutes 
late ! Eaikoads are pretty high-handed and unreliable, 
according to my ideas. I made Nancy promise to wrap 
up warm. She isn’t as rugged as some children.” 

"WTiile she stood close to the window which com- 
manded a view of the road the sleighs must take from 
the station, blowing on the panes of glass to keep them 
clear, Nancy Beaumont was trying to calm the old Ad- 
miral, whose patience had given way. 

“ They always come slowly around that last curve, 
grandfather,” said Nancy, who was standing on the 
platform ; “ do please shut the carriage door, so you 
won’t catch cold.” 

“ What do you think I am, child ? ” demanded the 
Admiral. “ Don’t you know I drove about the country 


12 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

in an open sleigh for years before you were born ? 
Yery well. Don’t you suppose I can afford to let a 
little air into this shut-up box on runners, without giv- 
ing myself a mortal illness? Yery well. I’m con- 
vinced something wrong has occurred between the 
bridge and — ah! run, Nancy ! No, don’t run ! Your 
grandmother would not have run, but hurry ” 

This was one of the times when the thought of what 
her grandmother would have done did not occur to 
Nancy, and would have had little weight, had it come 
into her mind. She was running — there was no doubt 
about that — her curls flying — along the platform to the 
very end, where the passenger car always came to a 
standstill with a flnal jerk. 

First came the General, lifting his hat to Nancy, and 
turning to give his hand to a young woman with a 
sweet face, who smiled down at the little girl, and put 
her arms on Nancy’s shoulders a second later, holding 
her close for a warm, motherly kiss. 

“ Oh, to think of your being Marguerite’s mother,” 
said Nancy softly. “ You look almost like another lit- 
tle girl ! How lovely 1 ” 

“ She’s not quite as young as she looks,” admonished 
the General, as he shook hands with Nancy when his 
wife had released her. “Don’t you be planning to 


The Coming of the Comptons 13 

have her coast down hill with you while I sit at home, 
for I won’t stand it ! ” 

“ Oh, Nancy, Nancy, look at me ! ” called a gay 
voice, and Marguerite, whirling down the car steps, 
seized her friend and put her arms around her as if she 
meant never to let her go. 

“ And here we are, Nancy ! ” cried four small boys 
who had come tumbling out of the car and down the 
steps, behind Marguerite, and were now pressing close 
to their hostess. 

“ Oh, yes, here are the boys,” said Marguerite. “ Mal- 
colm, and Ted, and Koger, and Dick. Make your best 
bows, boys. They have promised to behave just like 
Sunday-school, almost, they were so crazy to come ! ” 

“ Oh, but I don’t want them to behave too well,” said 
Nancy as she shook hands with the four small boys in 
turn. “ I suppose Jack is in the baggage-car, seeing 
about your trunks.” 

“Yes,” said Marguerite, “there he comes now. 
Boys,” she added, turning to the row at her elbow, as 
Nancy ran to greet her brother, “ follow me, and I’ll 
introduce you to the Admiral. See, he’s in that carriage 
speaking to mother. Isn’t he fine-looking, and stern ? 
Mind your manners now, or there’ll be trouble.” 

“ I must ask you to pardon an old man’s infirmity,” 


14 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 


said the Admiral, bowing his head over Mrs. Comp- 
ton’s hand, from his seat. ‘‘ If I should rise, I might 
not be able to adjust myself again to these cramped 
quarters ; but you are more than welcome ; and you, 
too,” as he wrung the General’s hand. “ Ah, Miss Mar- 
guerite, I am delighted to see you again, and to meet 
the young gentlemen.” 

The four little boys, standing like a short flight of 
steps, took off their hats and presented their small right 
hands, which the Admiral shook with much cordiality. 

“ But where’s my boy ? ” asked the old man anx- 
iously. “ Wasn’t he with you ? Ah, here he comes 
with N^ancy. They are fond of each other, those two 
children,” he said to Mrs. Compton, in the confldential 
tone of one imparting a secret. 

“ Is everything going well with you, lad ? ” he 
asked a moment later, his keen eyes searching the hand- 
some face of his grandson. 

“ Eight as a trivet, sir,” was Jack’s reply. “ ITow I’ll 
buhdle all these children in with Mr. Hobbs, and take 
a seat beside Sylvanus — ^if I’m not mistaken in thinking 
there’s a little extra room there.” 

“ It’s a most ’gregious honor for me, Mr. Jack, sir,” 
and Sylvanus joyously moved from the middle of the 
seat. “I think here is a sufficiency of wrappings to 


The Coming of the Comptons 15 

protect you from the inclementous storm, which is grow- 
ing lesser all the time.” 

“ That’s right, Sylvanus, I’m glad to see you haven’t 
lost your wonderful command of language,” said Jack. 
“ I’U be with you as soon as I have tucked in the little 
folks.” 

The sleigh from the livery stable was driven by Mr. 
Hobbs himself, and he shook hands warmly with 
Haney’s guests as she presented them. 

“ Snow on the ground and in the air is apt to make 
this pair o’ horses feel pretty good and lively,” said 
Mr. Hobbs, “ and I didn’t wish any accidents to occur ; 
that new man of mine is all well enough for daylight 
driving, but come night I prefer to hold the reins in 
my own hands. How d’ you do, Mr. Jack ? You are 
looking prime.” 

“ That’s the way I’m feeling,” said Jack, as he tucked 
the fur robes about Marguerite and Haney. 

Eoger, next to the youngest, sat between the two 
girls, while Malcohn and Ted were one at each side of 
Mr. Hobbs. Mrs. Compton had taken Dick, the baby 
of the family, with her, as in spite of the added dignity 
of a late fifth birthday, he was apt to be very sleepy by 
six o’clock, and his mother knew that a short nap in the 
carriage would be a great help. 


i6 TAe Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

“Suppose you give us the start,” said Jack to Mr. 
Hobbs, in an undertone. “ I’m afraid Sylvanus would 
not like to be left in the background, and I have a sus- 
picion that Ezra is not as fleet of foot as in his youth.” 

“ Certainly, Mr. Jack, anything to oblige,” said Mr. 
Hobbs, and he waited a good flve minutes after the 
other sleigh had started before driving out from under 
the roof of the Potterville station shelter. 

“ How, when we go by Mrs. Potter’s house — ^you re- 
member her. Marguerite — we must aU wave our hand- 
kerchiefs,” said Haney ; “ or just our hands wiU do ; 
she’d be watching, and so pleased ! Oh, Marguerite, 
and Malcolm, and Ted and Koger, I am so glad you’ve 
come ! Are you half as glad you’re here as I am ? ” 

“ Gladder ! gladder ! ” cried the Comptons in a joy- 
ful chorus; and as the horses flew along the snowy 
road, through the main street, past Mrs. Potter’s house, 
where two handkerchiefs fluttered at the window, out 
of the to^vn, and on toward Beaumont Comers, the 
sleigh-beUs seemed to jingle it again — “ Gladder ! glad- 
der ! gladder ! ” 


CHAPTEB II 


THE WELCOME 

In the hall of the Beaumont house, on the old chest, 
bolt upright, in her best black gown, sat Aunt Sylvia, 
and on the rug, regarding her with interest, sat Julia 
Frost, INTancy Beaumont’s Maltese cat. Tied around 
her neck was a ruffled collar of pink ribbon, the small 
bow which fastened it drooping over one of Julia’s 
ears. She put up her paw with the idea of changing or 
removing this troublesome decoration, but Aunt Sylvia 
rebuked her sharply. 

“ Hyar you, Julia Frost, what you doing ? ” she de- 
manded, and the cat replaced her paw on the rug and 
turned her head away from Aunt Sylvia. “You 
cert’nly are de ungratef’lest Malty cat eber I saw. 
Isn’t I taken all ob one ebening fluting dat ribbon, and 
fitting it snug to yo’ neck, and had to chase all ober de 
house to find you, fo’ de tryings on — and now, when de 
time’s come fo’ you to show off befo’ de visitors, seems 
like you’s doing yo’ best to take all de fresh looks out 
o’ dat coUar. S’posing it does tickle a mite? Hold 
yo’ haid still, cyant you ? ” 


17 


i8 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

Aunt Sylvia slid the horn-bowed spectacles down 
from her cap, and arranged them at a becoming angle 
on her nose. Then she gazed through them at Juha 
Frost, who stared at her, and blinked, without moving. 

“ Dat’s better,” said Aunt Sylvia. “ I reckon I’U 
jess keep dese glasses on to make you mind yo’ man- 
ners. Dey is mighty becoming and ’pressive appearing, 
if de Admiral do say dey’s only window glass.” 

She rose and stood peering at herself in the little 
blurred mirror which below its gay landscape scarce 
aiforded space for the reflection of Aunt Sylvy’s head 
with its white hair crowned with a gay turban, her 
last gift from Jack. 

“ Dat boy has got de most exc’llent tasty ideas fo’ 
color,” she said with a broad smile of satisfaction as 
she turned from the mirror ; “ he knows when folkses 
wear a black dress, and a mons’ous white apron, and a 
kerchief such as de Admiral likes to hab me wear, dey 
jess nachelly ’quires a little red an’ yaller on dere 
haids, else dey looks all faded out an’ gone away. Hi I 
you Betty ! What you looking at ? Don’t I see a 
button loose on yo’ waist ? You come hyar to me.” 

Kosy-cheeked Betty presented herself meekly for 
inspection, but even with the aid of the horn-bowed 
spectacles. Aunt Sylvia was unable to find a loose 


The IVelcome 


»9 


button, and at last she gave Betty a little push, and 
told her to go to one of the windows and see if there 
might be either sign or sound of the expected travelers. 

“ Stand so yo’ dress will mingle in wid de cyurtains,” 
commanded Aunt Sylvia ; “ if de Admiral got de notion 
you’s standing at one ob de front windows, gal, spying 
out on him and his company, you shorely would lose 
yo’ place, ’less I pleaded fo’ you. Step along quick ; 
don’ you hyar me ? Is you waiting fo’ me to go, 
myse’f?” 

Betty fled to the window, and hid herself in the long 
white curtains. Aunt Sylvia took her seat on the old 
settle by the fire, and listened, motionless. Julia 
Frost on the rug, purring, forgot the fretting collar for 
a moment. Suddenly her purr ceased ; she pricked up 
her ears as a horse might have done, and then with a 
swift passage over the old oak floor, she reached the 
doorway ; she lowered her head and putting her nose 
to the crack, began to make the peculiar sound, half 
cry and half purr, with which she always greeted her 
little mistress. 

“Come back out’n dose windows, Betty!” called 
Aunt Sylvia. “ Dis yer Julia Frost’s ears are sharper’n 
any dat’s on yo’ haid. She’s done cotch de jingle ob 
dose bells already, or else she done smell dose ole fur 


20 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

robes o’ Hobbs’s libery stable sleigh — I don’t know 
which. How yo’ stand back o’ me when de do’ is 
opened, and you curchy to Mrs. Compton de way I 
taught you, and don’ let me see you cotching at de 
furniture to keep yo’ balance, now you mind. I kin 
tell whar dey is now ; dey’s almos’ hyar. Julia Frost, 
you Stan’ out well, so dey see yo’ collar, and rec’gnize 
you’s done yo’ best fo’ de comp’ny.” 

With a grand flourish she threw open the door at just 
the proper moment, and Mrs. Compton, waved forward 
by the General, had for her first view a gay plaid 
turban which nearly touched the floor, a rosy-cheeked 
maid bent almost double, with arms extended and 
clutching the air, and a small Maltese cat with an 
Elizabethan ruff of pink ribbon, waving her tail in 
welcome, while behind this trio the great log fire sent 
dancing, dickering lights over the dusky hall. 

“ This is Haney’s Aunt Sylvia, of whom I’ve heard so 
much,” said Mrs. Compton’s gentle voice. “ I should 
know you anywhere, from Marguerite’s description ; ” 
and as Aunt Sylvia resumed an upright position she 
saw a slender gloved hand held out for her, and she 
clasped it between her two old palms with a glow of 
pride at her heart. 

‘‘ And this is Betty, I’m sure,” said Mrs. Compton 


The Welcome 


21 


smiling, and tliat time the slender hand saved Betty 
from an ignominious sprawl on the floor. 

“Yes, ma’am, thank you, ma’am,” said Betty, rosier 
than ever, and retreated to the back of the hall, to be 
summoned again sharply by Aunt Sylvia. 

“ Take Miss Marguerite’s bag,” she commanded, as 
the second sleigh emptied its load at the door, “ and 
see if de young gen’lemen has any hand baggage. 
I’ll ’tend to Mis’ Gen’l Compton’s shawl-strap myself. 
An’ how ’bout dat little teenty honey boy ? Would 
he let Aunt Sylvy lif’ him up in her arms a 
minute ? ” 

Little Dick was making friends with Julia Frost, 
standing close to his mother, but at Aunt Sylvia’s 
question, he looked up wonderingly at the old black 
face, bent to him, with such a pleading expression. 

“ She’s my dear mammy, you know, Dick,” whispered 
IS'ancy, “ and if you knew how good it feels to have her 
lift you up ! ” 

Julia Frost, seeing an array of boys, sprang to 
Nancy’s shoulder, and little Dick, bereft of her society, 
considered the matter of Aunt Sylvia. His mother was 
talking to Nancy and smoothing the fur of Julia Frost, 
far above his reach. Near at hand was a big soft 
figure, inviting him to comfort ; he was still half asleep. 


22 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

He yawned frankly, and smiled drowsily at the dusky 
face. 

“ You may lif’ me up, Aunt Sylvy,” said little Dick ; 
and he was swung up to a shoulder so soft and yet firm 
and clasped by an arm so comforting and well-curved 
that in less time than it took Aunt Sylvia to mount the 
short flight of broad, shallow stairs, he was fast asleep 
once more. 

“ I’m afraid he’s too heavy for you. Aunt Sylvia,” 
said Mrs. Compton, as she followed the old mammy 
along the corridor till they reached a door at which 
Aunt Sylvia paused and stood aside to let the guest pass 
into the room. 

“ Too heavy fo’ Aunt Sylvy ! ” echoed the musical old 
voice, “ I reckon not. Mis’ Gen’l Compton ! Isn’t you 
seen me looking at dat little honey boy de minute he 
come in de do’, an’ stood on his two little sleepy laigs, 
making Men’s wid dat Julia Frost ? My arms was 
jess a-twitching fo’ to get him in ’em. He don’ weigh 
more’n a bunch o’ thistle-down ; chiUun never weighs 
more’n dat to Aunt Sylvy. I gets Miss Haney in my 
lap often as I kin, an’ she’s getting to be most a young 
lady growed ; ” the dark eyes were very wistful with 
the last words, and Aunt Sylvia’s voice had a mournful 
cadence. 


The Welcome 


23 

“ Oh, I think Nancy will not be a young lady for 
several years yet,” whispered Mrs. Compton, as they 
tiptoed through the large room, to a small one beyond, 
where a little white bed gleamed through the dim 
light. “ That is one reason I love to have Marguerite 
with her. Little girls grow up too fast nowadays.” 

She was rewarded by a flashing smile from Aunt 
Sylvia as the little sound-asleep boy was laid down, so 
gently that he scarcely stirred. 

“ Sleep is de mos’ prettiest t’ing in dis worP,” said 
Aunt Sylvia, smoothing the coverlet she had drawn up 
over him. “ Dere’s plenty ob nights I steals into my 
lamb’s room jess to see her lying so, dreaming sweet 
dreams. You see he’ll be right close to you an’ de 
Gen’l, in dis suite ob rooms,” and she drew herself up, 
proudly. “ De young gen’lemen is got a suite ob two 
rooms across de hall, an’ Miss Marguerite is in her same 
room, nex’ my Miss Nancy. And now. Mis’ Gen’l 
Compton, I’s undone yo’ shawl-strap, an’ I hyar de 
Gen’l coming, so ’tis time Aunt Sylvy took herself to de 
kitchen, an’ when de gong tinkles, will you descend to 
de dining-room, if you please.” 

And with another courtesy, fully equal to the one 
with which she had welcomed the guests, Aunt Sylvia 
disappeared. 


24 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

A gay chatter was going on between Nancy and 
Marguerite as she passed their rooms, and below in the 
hall the Admiral stood by the fire, his hand on Jack’s 
shoulder, listening with a smile on his stern face to 
some story his grandson was telling. 

Aunt Sylvia stole by them, unnoticed ; at the door 
leading out from the hall stood a small figure, all gray 
fur, mewing plaintively. Its pink collar was sadly 
askew. Aunt Sylvia picked up the little cat. 

^‘Hyar you, Julia Frost,” she whispered as they 
passed through the door and on to the kitchen. “ You’s 
done yo’ best, but dere isn’t much ’tention paid to cats, 
jess at first, when dere’s comp’ny. You come out, an’ 
Aunt Sylvy join you to her fam’ly in de kitchen, an’ 
show you a saucer ob milk dat’U make you forget 
dere’s any such t’ings as pink collars in dis whole wide 
world.” 


CHAPTER III 


AUNT SYLVY 

Never since the days when Nancy’s father was a 
boy at home, had the old dining-room held such an 
array of youthful guests as gathered around the old 
table that night. The Admiral’s gout was worse than 
usual, as a result of his unwonted exertions, but he bore 
its twinges bravely and smiled on all his friends, old 
and new. 

Nancy sat opposite him, but much farther away than 
ever before, as two extra leaves, long unused, and 
warped with age and standing in a closet, had been in- 
serted, to lengthen the table, by Aunt Sylvia and 
Sylvanus. It had not been easily accomplished, but 
when the leaves were at last in place, and the whole 
surface of the table had been rubbed and polished, with 
the aid of a few drops of oil, by Sylvanus, his mother 
had expressed her satisfaction. 

“Yo’ brain isn’t anyt’ing to speak ’bout,” she re- 
marked frankly, “ but yo’ elbows is mighty good when 
I gets ’em to working, ’Yanus. When I’s disposed de 
25 


26 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

tray-cloths and such over de bad spots, dis table will 
look fine enough fo’ de company — ^you’ll see ! ” 

They all saw that night, for not only were the tray- 
cloths “ disposed ” to the best advantage, but Sylvanus 
had been into the deep woods that afternoon and had 
brought back trailing pine and scarlet berries to deco- 
rate the table. An irregular wreath encircled the tall 
glass dish which stood in the centre and held one of 
Aunt Sylvia’s marvelous concoctions, known as “ Koyal 
Whip,” and from this wreath the pine wandered over 
the table, “ whereber it’s needed, honey,” as Aunt 
Sylvia told Nancy, explaining her plan of decoration. 

There were so many good things to eat that the eyes 
of the three boys grew round as saucers, and at last 
eight-year-old Koger could no longer restrain himself. 

“ Mother ! ” he burst out, “ say, mother, did you ever 
eat such cake in all your life ? ” and then turned crim- 
son. 

Betty, standing behind Nancy’s chair, cast an invol- 
untary glance toward the door which led out to Aunt 
Sylvia’s domain, and which stood slightly ajar. It 
seemed to Betty that the door moved a little, as if a 
foot had touched it, but Betty might have been mis- 
taken. 

‘‘ You wiU have to pardon him, Nancy, and Admiral 


*7 


Aunt Sylvy 

Beaumont too,” said the pretty mother. “This is 
Koger’s first taste of such cooking as Aunt Sylvia’s.” 

That time the door surely moved, and furthermore 
it creaked. The Admiral’s head turned toward it, and 
he smiled, while Nancy’s dimples grew deeper. 

“ The young gentleman is most excusable,” said the 
old man in a carrying tone. “We are so accustomed 
to Aunt Sylvia’s delectable dishes that I doubt if we 
fully appreciate them.” 

The crack in the door vanished, and Julia Frost, 
humbly waiting, found herself suddenly raised to un- 
usual eminence. 

“ You hyar dat, Juba Frost ? ” inquired Aunt Sylvia, 
her lips pressed into the soft gray fur. “ Bat’s quality 
speaking in dere. Now, we’ll go rest ourselves in de 
kitchen, and tell ’Yanus to polish up Jessie an’ Mary 
Anne, not forgetting Ezry, an’ see if dere won’t be 
some compulments fo’ him to-morrow day.” 

When the supper was over there was a grouping of 
the company around the fire. Mrs. Compton said 
good-night after a few moments, and went up-stairs to 
little Dick, telling Nancy she would see her again when 
bedtime came. Nancy and Marguerite sat in a big 
chair together. The three boys surrounded Jack on 
the old settle, while the Admiral and the General, in two 


28 T/ie Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

easy leather-covered lounging-chairs, talked and talked 
until the clock struck nine, then the General turned to 
his boys, pressed close to Jack and drinking in his 
stories of life at college, wide-eyed and much of the 
time open-mouthed in their excitement. 

“ Attention ! ” called the General as Jack, catching 
his eye, ended a story abruptly. “ Eight about 
face ! ” 

The three boys faced about and stood, rigid, arms at 
their sides. 

“ Shoulder arms ! ” commanded the General, and each 
boy shouldered an imaginary musket. 

“ March ! ” said the General, and the line, headed by 
Malcolm, started for the staircase. 

“ Password ! ” called the General, and without 
turning their heads, the small soldiers gave the pass- 
word. 

“ Good-night and pleasant dreams to all,” they 
chorused with a strong accent of the syllable which 
came with the left foot, and marched on, up the stairs, 
without another word or look, in response to the 
“ good-nights ” called to them by those left behind. 

“ They retired in good order,” said the Admiral ; “ is 
that the way they alwaj^s go ? ” 

“ It’s the only way they will go,” laughed the Gen- 


Aunt Sylvy 29 

eral. “Any sort of soldier play will carry them 
through things they don’t like.” 

“ When father is away, mother and I have an awful 
time,” said Marguerite. “If mother says, ‘It’s bed- 
time, boys ! ’ you ought to hear them groan.” 

“We used to go to bed about this time last autumn, 
Marguerite,” said Nancy. “What time would you 
like to go to-night ? ” 

“I’m ready to start this minute,” said Marguerite 
frankly. “ I don’t know as I can swallow many more 
yawns ; this fire makes me so warm and drowsy. And 
there are the stars to see after we get up-stairs.” 

So the two little girls said good-night, and five min- 
utes later, wrapped closely together in a great blanket, 
they stood on Nancy’s balcony, hunting for old friends 
in the sky. The snow had ceased, the clouds were 
broken, and here and there shone out a star, clear, pale 
gold against the drifting racks of white, and the blue 
black dome of the sky. 

“ See, there’s the dear old Dipper,” whispered Mar- 
guerite. “ I never really thought about the stars till 
we looked at them together, Nancy. Won’t we have 
a good time this week ? And in the spring, you know, 
you are coming down to make me a visit ; your grand- 
father and your brother Jack both say you shall ; and 


3 © T/ie Admiral's hittle Housekeeper 

I’ll show you all the sights, and take you to a party 
or two, and — oh, all sorts of things. Won’t that be 
lovely ? ” 

‘‘I’m sure it would,” said Nancy, but Marguerite 
gave her a little pinch under the shawl. 

“ Not ‘ would,’ Nancy ; ‘ will ’ is the word for you to 
say,” she corrected. “ Say ‘ will,’ Nancy dear.” 

“ Marguerite,” said Nancy, with pink cheeks, hidden 
by the sheltering darkness, “ I hope it may be ‘ wiU,’ 
but I’d have to get a good many new things to be 
ready for a visit to the city, and perhaps, when the 
time comes, grandfather may think it is too expensive.” 

Marguerite was dismayed, but with a little pang she 
knew that Nancy spoke the truth ; the city was quite a 
different place from Beaumont Corners. And this was 
not a case where money might be offered; the Ad- 
miral’s pride would instantly resent it. And Nancy’s 
dear, shabby little gowns ! “ Oh,” she thought, 

“ mother will have to find a way ! ” 

“ At any rate I shall plan for it,” she said, rubbing 
her cheek against Nancy’s, “and I believe you will 
come, Nancy Beaumont. You may have a fortune left 
you before spring ! ” 

Nancy’s laugh rang out on the still air. 

. “ There’s nobody to leave it to me. Marguerite,” she 


Aunt Sylvy 31 

said. “ But I may think of a way to earn some money ; 
I have all sorts of ideas in my head.” 

“We’ll talk them over,” said Marguerite, “ and per- 
haps I might help you plan. Father says I have a very 
practical head, I^ancy.” 

“ You’ll have a cold in it if we stay out here any 
longer,” said Nancy, affectionately, and she drew her 
friend into the room. There was more chat, back and 
forth between the two, and the spring of the “ secret 
drawer ” was tried, to make sure that it worked all 
right. 

“ For there’s Christmas morning, and all the other 
days when we may wish to use it,” said Marguerite. 
“ Yes, it’s all right, Nancy. Now I suppose we must 
go to bed ; but you remember what’s to happen to you ? 
What I’ve been just longing for, ever since I knew you. 
Mother said I was to tap on her door, gently, and she’d 
know what it was for, and she’d come and tuck you up 
for the night, just the way she does me.” 

“ Oh, that will be sweet,” breathed Nancy, and it was 
sweet ; the soft, motherly arms around her, and the 
gentle good-night kiss, and the smoothing and tucking 
in of the coverlet, all of it was sweet, and Nancy 
loved it. 

But when the General and the Admiral had come 


32 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

up-stairs, and Jack had gone past her door to his room, 
softly whistling, and all the house was still and dark, 
Nancy sat up in bed, and listened. There was a little 
stir outside her door which was not closed ; ears less 
sharp than Nancy’s would scarcely have heard it. She 
gave a small, half -smothered cough, and at the sound 
there stood in the doorway a tall figure. 

“Aunt Sylvia,” called Nancy, softly, through the 
dark, her face turned to the door. “Aunt Sylvia, 
please come here.” 

“ Is you wanting anyt’ing, honey ? ” The voice that 
Nancy loved had a strained sound as if Aunt Sylvia’s 
throat were stiff, and the figure was only just over the 
threshold. 

“ Yes, I am wanting something,” said Nancy ; “ I am 
wanting you to teU me good-night and see if I’m tucked 
in aU right,, and sit down by the bed, and just hum me 
one verse of ‘ Blow H’l’ breezes,’ before I go to sleep ; 
that’s what I’m wanting.” 

The figure moved across the room, and the old black 
hands patted the piUows and straightened out the cov- 
erings so lately smoothed, but strangely creased and 
tumbled. 

“ I s’posed my honey was all ’tended to by de 
quality,” said Aunt Sylvia. “ I reckoned ” 


Aunt Sylvy 33 

Nancy caught one of the hands and laid her cheek 
against it. 

“ Don’t you ever s’pose or reckon again, Aunt 
Sylvia,” she said gently. “But if you’re tired, you 
needn’t sing to me.” 

“ Tired ! ” echoed Aunt Sylvia, as she seated herself, 
and began to rock to and fro. “ I was tired ’bout ten 
minutes ago ; tired an’ old an’ useless-feeling, honey ; 
but now I’s as rested as eber I was in my life. You 
jess shut yo’ little eyes, an’ let Aunt Sylvy blow you 
right off to Dreamland on dose li’l’ breezes.” 


CHAPTEE IT 


CHEISTMAS IN THE AIB 

“ Mabguerite,” said Nancy the next morning, as the 
little girls walked down the stairs with their arms en- 
twined, “ there is so much to be done to-day that I 
don’t know where to begin ! The day before Christ- 
mas has always been the most exciting time of the 
whole year to me, because Aunt Sylvia has always 
planned some sort of ‘ s’prise fun ’ for me Christmas 
Eve ; but I’ve never had any company before ; and 
Jack has never been at home until just the last 
minute.” 

She drew a long breath of delight and gave Mar- 
guerite’s arm a little squeeze. 

“I’ve seen Jack already this morning,” she added. 
“ He whistled at my door about half an hour ago, and 
told me he was taking Malcolm and Ted off for a turn 
on their snow-shoes before breakfast.” 

“They insisted on bringing those great things up 
here,” said Marguerite, “ and now I suppose they’ll be 
too proud for words, to think they’ve had a chance to 
use them right away. Malcolm belongs to a snow- 
34 


Christmas in the Air 351 

shoe club ; he’s the youngest boy in it — not twelve yet, 
his birthday conies in March ; Ted’s two years younger, 
but he has to do everything Malcolm does, no matter 
what it is. Why, he almost cried to think mother 
wouldn’t let him put on glasses when Malcolm had to ! 
and he’s as far-sighted as any one could possibly be, 
the oculist said, and he hasn’t one bit of astigmatism, 
or anything like that.” 

“Hasn’t he?” said Haney, as they stood before the 
fire waiting for the others to come to breakfast. Then 
she dimpled and laughed. “ I don’t know what asti— 
I don’t know what that word means,” she confessed. 

“I’m the poorest person in the world to explain 
things,” said Marguerite, “ particularly when I’m not 
quite sure about them, Haney. It means — why, it 
means that you don’t see what you ought to, the way 
you ought to, and you don’t see alike.” 

“Oh,” said Haney, demurely, “perhaps I have it, 
Marguerite.” 

She put her fingers over first one eye and then the 
other, gazing fixedly at Marguerite with the open eye 
each time. 

“I haven’t it,” she announced solemnly. “I see 
what I ought to, the way I ought to, and I see it 
alike.” 


36 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

They were laughing over their small joke when 
down the stairs came Mrs. Compton and little Dick, 
followed by the Admiral and his old friend, and at the 
same moment the door burst open and in trooped Jack 
and his three admirers. 

“ I couldn’t go everywhere they did,” cried Eoger be- 
fore any one else could speak, “ but I went most of the 
way, and then I stood on a big stone that was stick- 
ing up out of the snow, and was a general cheering on 
my men, and shouted all sorts of orders to them. But, 
mother, I must have snow-shoes next winter — can’t I, 
father ? You know, really, father, when you’re nine 
you’re too old for rubber-boots.” 

“ Do you see what Jack is doing ? ” asked the Gen- 
eral in a stern voice, but with a quick glance of amuse- 
ment at the Admiral, who was looking at the boy with 
a tolerant smile. “ Where are your manners ? ” 

Jack was bowing over Mrs. Compton’s hand with 
the ease and grace of a courtier. In the twinkling 
of an eye a line of three formed before Kancy and 
Malcolm’s best dancing-school bow was executed for 
her benefit, and imitated by Ted and Koger. As the 
line faced toward the Admiral, little Dick stepped 
from his mother’s sheltering arm and advanced with 
outstretched hand. 


Christmas in the Air 


37 

“ I slept all night, thank you,” he said, and solemnly 
inclined his curly head as Nancy shook his hand. 

“ Oh, Dick, won’t you play little boy, to please me, 
while you’re here ? ” pleaded Nancy. ‘‘ Malcolm and 
Ted and Koger are big boys — but I’ve never had a 
little brother, and I had such hopes you’d play you 
were mine, just for a week. Won’t you ? ” 

Dick looked at his mother, his father, and his 
brothers, who were formed in a half-circle before Jack. 
He looked again at Nancy, and a little smile curved 
his mouth; he remembered Julia Frost, and Aunt 
Sylvia’s strong, soft arms, and her cookies of which 
Marguerite had told. 

“ I will,” he said gravely. “ Mother said I could be 
your holiday knight,” he added with the clear speech 
which had been his from the time he began to talk. 

“Then you must wear a silver star,” said Nancy, 
“ to show you are my knight. I’ll get it for you as 
soon as breakfast is over.” 

“I shouldn’t mind having a star,” said Malcolm, 
looking across the table at Nancy when they were 
seated. “I like decorations.” 

“ So do I,” said Ted ; “ and so do I,” chimed in Koger. 

Little Dick looked up at his mother, but she shook 
her head to reassure him. 


38 TAe Admiral's L,ittle Housekeeper 

“Young ladies need only one knight at a time,” she 
said, “ and Nancy has chosen Dick. He has the star 
in token of his rank ; but if Malcolm or Ted or Roger 
should do anything, while we are here, to deserve 
decoration, IVe no doubt Nancy would honor you 
with one.” 

The boys turned hopefully toward Nancy. 

“ Of course,” she said, entering into the spirit of the 
plan at once. “ I have some beautiful red stars that 
would be just right for honors, Mrs. Compton. 
Wouldn’t you like those, Malcolm and Ted and 
Roger ? ” 

“ They’d be pretty good, I think,” said Malcolm, gaz- 
ing at her through his glasses. 

“ Pretty good,” echoed Ted, and Roger nodded his 
approval. 

“ To be earned, remember,” said Mrs. Compton, “ by 
courtesy and thoughtfulness and generosity and cour- 
age.” 

At that the three boys looked a little disheartened, 
but the entrance of Aunt Sylvia with a plate of steam- 
ing flap-jacks drove away all thoughts of decorations, 
honorary and diflicult to secure, for the time. 

“ I shall need the help of — let me see — just about 
three boys, to carry out some plans for Christmas,” 


Christmas in the Air 


39 

said Jack. “I have to go into Potterville this morn- 
ing. Any offers of assistance ? ” 

“Would we do?” chorused Malcolm, Ted and 
Koger. 

Jack surveyed them critically, and then smiled at 
Mrs. Compton. 

“ Strange to say, they seem just the sizes and ages I 
require,” he said. “ May I borrow them, Mrs. Comp- 
ton?” 

“Indeed you may,” said their mother cordially. 
“ Aunt Sylvia has asked me to help her with some of 
her preparations.” 

Nancy slipped her hand over little Dick’s, under 
cover of the table-cloth. 

“ And Marguerite and I want Dick very much,” she 
said. “ May we have him for the morning, Mrs. Comp- 
ton?” 

“ I don’t see but the way is clear for us, General,” 
said the Admiral, rubbing his hands in anticipation. 
“ What do you say to a game of chess ? ” 

“ The time seems ripe,” said the General, “ and noth- 
ing would please me better than a chance to beat you.” 

“ As to that, we’ll see,” said the Admiral. “ Nancy, 
do you happen to remember where the board was 
placed after our — after the last game ? ” 


40 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

“ It is on the little round table in the library now, 
grandfather,” said Nancy. “I found it yesterday 
when we were putting the room in order. You had set 
it away carefully.” 

“ As I always do,” said the Admiral with his most 
satisfied manner. 

“ Grandfather tried to teach me how to play chess 
after you went home in the fall,” said Nancy to Mar- 
guerite when breakfast was over, and they stood look- 
ing out at the beautiful white world arched by a sky of 
clear, deep blue. “ And he grew very much discour- 
aged with me, and he put the chess-board away, we 
didn’t know where. But this morning Aunt Sylvia 
found it when she and Betty were cleaning, on a high 
shelf that no one but grandfather could reach without a 
chair ; he has long arms, and he’s so tall ; and my grand- 
mother was an inch taller — just think of that. Mar- 
guerite.” 

“ You’re tall enough for your age,” said Marguerite, 
unimpressed by the appalling height of an old lady she 
had never seen. “ I don’t wish to be so very tall my- 
seK ; I’d prefer to be exactly mother’s height ; I con- 
sider her just tall enough. I think I shall stop when I 
get to be on a level with her.” 

“ How can you ? ” asked Nancy, wide-eyed. 


Christmas in the Air 


41 


“Why, there must be ways,” said Marguerite de- 
cidedly. “I could fit myself into something every 
night, I think. Of course it’s at night when we’re 
stretched out, that we grow, I suppose. I shall 
manage it. But it is sad when you’d like to be taller 
than you are, and can’t stretch enough. I know a boy 
at home — his father is the president of one of our 
banks — and it has always been his one ambition and de- 
sire to be a fireman ; but he comes of a short family^ 
and though he tries every way he hears of, he’s four 
inches under the required height, now, and he’s almost 
seventeen.” 

“And does he feel disappointed already?” asked 
Nancy. “ He might grow.” 

“ He’s nearly broken-hearted, and he’s given up the 
idea,” said Marguerite. “He told me so at dancing- 
school last week, very solemnly. He said, ‘ Marguerite, 
a fellow of my age won’t grow four inches in the next 
two years, and father’s set on my going to college, at 
that time ; as long as I can’t have my chosen career,’ 
he said, ‘ I shall try to please my parents.’ I thought 
it was noble of him. I was quite thrilled, Nancy.” 

“ But — but doesn’t he care anything about books or 
study ? ” asked Nancy, on whom the Beaumont tradi- 
tions had taken strong hold. “ Of course firemen are 


42 T/ie Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 

splendid and brave — but it’s a very dangerous life, isn’t 
it, Marguerite ? ” 

“Certainly, but this boy loves danger,” said Mar- 
guerite. “He was very much interested about your 
secret passage, Haney, and he said probably there were 
other doors and windings that had been closed for 
years. He said what a chance it would be to spend 
nights exploring such a place.” 

Haney shook her head. She did not specially fancy 
this adventurous friend of Marguerite. 

“It would be very unpleasant, I think,” she said, 
“ and damp and dirty. Marguerite.” 

“ So it would,” said Marguerite whirling her gayly 
around. “I don’t care much for that idea, myself. 
Oh, Haney, what shall we do first? ” 

“ I thought we’d take little Dick out to see Jessie and 
the others,” said Haney, “ and then, when we are safe 
out in the bam where no one can hear us — for Jack will 
take Sylvanus with him — we’ll plan about to-morrow. 
Jack told me I wasn’t to make a single plan for any- 
thing between supper to-night and breakfast to-morrow 
morning — but we always have early breakfast Christ- 
mas, on account of seeing what’s in our stockings, so it 
won’t be so very long to wait.” 

“ Do you hang up your stockings ? ” asked an eager 


Christmas in the Air 43 

little voice at her elbow, and there stood Dick, the 
silvery star on his Kussian blouse where Nancy had 
pinned it, his eyes big with wonder. “ Do you believe 
in Santa Claus ? ” 

Just at that moment Aunt Sylvia came into the room 
bearing to the old buffet a tray heaped with the break- 
fast silver. 

“ She was brought up by her mammy to b’lieve in 
Santy Claus,” announced Aunt Sylvia before Nancy had 
time to answer. “ But she’s getting mos’ too big now 
for de ol’ man to come driving his reindeers way out 
hyah jess for her. I mostly ’tends to his business out 
hyah, de las’ few years. But when a little honey boy 
like you is vis’ting, dere’s no telling what he’ll do.” 

Little Dick left Nancy’s side and walked over to 
Aunt Sylvia. 

“The boys — Malcolm and Ted and Eoger — don’t 
really believe in Santa Claus any longer,” he said looking 
up at her. “ But I like to believe in him, Aunt Sylvia ; 
sometimes it seems as if he couldn’t be just somebody 
dressed up, the way I heard them say ; such queer 
things happen at Christmas time, seems as if there must 
be a real Santa Claus somewhere ! ” 

Aunt Sylvia pulled down her spectacles, and gazed 
through them at the little boy. 


44 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

“Dat’s a fac’,” she said; “mighty queer things 
happens ; you jess wait till to-night and see ! IS'ow if you’s 
gwine out in de barn wid yo’ comp’ny, Miss Nancy, 
I’ll have dat Betty set dese rooms to rights. Put on all 
de warm wraps out ’n de hall chist, honey, and you’ll 
find Julia Frost waiting for you, to show de little boy 
her kittens. She’s collected dose two kittens from where 
dey was, and she’s spatting fust one, den de other, to 
keep ’em inside de barn. I saw her ten minutes 
ago, and she cert’nly appeared impatient fo’ 
vis’ tors.” 

“ Did Julia Frost know we were going to the barn ? ” 
asked Dick as he was enveloped in a big shawl from 
the old chest. 

“I think perhaps — probably — Aunt Sylvia put her 
out in the bam,” said Nancy, as she drew an old fur- 
lined cape over Marguerite’s shoulders and tied it on 
with a cord. “But Julia really understands a great 
deal.” 

“ The first time I saw her, Dick, she was hiding in 
this very chest,” said Marguerite, as Nancy shut down 
the lid, and they started for the barn, “ and Nancy only 
found her because she mewed so loud.” 

“How loud ?” inquired little Dick who always 
wished to have things made clear, as they ran along the 



OUT IN THK HAKN 





Christmas in the Air 


45 

hard path to the barn, the snow crunching under their 
feet. 

“ As loud as — listen, Dick ! ” said Nancy, as they 
reached the barn door. It was open a crack, and from 
that crack, at which was placed a small gray nose, came 
such a “ miaow ” as Dick had never heard before — “ as 
loud as that,” said Nancy as she slid the door open, and 
Julia Frost with her two kittens. Spick and Span, came 
into full view. 

Dick was formally introduced to Jessie and Mary 
Anne, as well as to Ezra whom he had not really met, 
the night before. He was shown the hens, in their 
houses near by. 

“ And the pigs, Nancy, I think he’d like to see the 
pigs,” said Marguerite ; “ there were four ; I remember 
how cunning they were that first time I saw them.” 

“ There are only ” began Nancy, with pink cheeks, 

but at that moment there come the sound of a loud, 
choking sneeze from the hay-loft, followed by another 
and another. 

Marguerite clapped her hands, and though Nancy 
tried to look dignified, she laughed in spite of herself. 

“ This is exactly like my last visit,” whispered Mar- 
guerite, as in response to Nancy’s call, Sylvanus came 
down the stairs. 


46 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

But Nancy was not to be coaxed by Sylvanus into an 
exhibition of Jessie’s accomplishments that morning. 

“ My brother wishes you to put Ezra into the sleigh 
at once, Sylvanus,” said Nancy with an air of decision. 
Then she relented a little as she saw his crestfallen 
face. “ We’ll have a Christmas Day exhibition, Syl- 
vanus,” she added, “ and I’m sure the beautiful polish 
on all their coats will be just as bright to-morrow as it 
is to-day.” 

The three children watched and waited until the old 
sleigh, drawn by Ezra, had bumped over the sill ^ then 
Nancy slid the door across. 

“ Now, we’ll go up to the hay-loft where it’s warm,” 
she said, “ and I will tell you my Christmas plans.” 

“ Am I in them ? ” asked little Dick, as he stumped 
up the narrow uneven stairs after Nancy, closely fol- 
lowed by Marguerite, whose hand he had disdained 
when she offered to help him. 

“ Are you in them ? ” echoed Nancy as they arrived at 
the hay-loft and she waved her guests to warm and 
fragrant seats. “ Why, you are one of the most impor- 
tant parts of them.” 

“ I s’posed I was, on account of my star,” said Dick 
as he settled comfortably into the hay. “ I should like 
to hear about them, please, right away.” 


Christmas in the Air 47 

“ So should I,” said Marguerite ; “ please begin to tell, 
Nancy.” 

Then Nancy began, to an audience of five, for Julia 
Frost, after one long, indignant “ miaow ” at being left 
behind, escorted her kittens up the flight of stairs, and 
took a position from which she and her family com- 
manded a fine view of the company, and could hear 
every word that was said. 


CHAPTER V 


A REAL SANTA CLAUS 

All day long there was an air of excitement and 
mystery about the old house at Beaumont Corners. 
The parlor was shut off from the hall, its door tightly 
closed and a placard bearing the words “ 'No Admit- 
tance ” was put against it. 

“ ThaPs just for us,” Haney confided to Marguerite 
when they discovered the placard, on their return from 
the barn. “I mean for us children. I’m sure your 
mother is in there now, with Aunt Sylvia, and I think 
grandfather is there, too, and your father.” 

“ They’re not in the library,” announced Marguerite, 
“ for I’ve just looked ; but the chess-board is out ; per- 
haps they’re being consulted. Here they come. Let’s 
be warming our hands, with our backs to the door, as if 
we didn’t notice the placard or anything unusual.” 

They carried out this suggestion at once, but little 
Dick saw no reason for turning his back on anything of 
interest ; he stood, his sturdy legs well apart (after the 
style of an attitude he had often admired when his 
48 


A Real Santa Claus 


49 


oldest brother took it), staring straight at the parlor door. 
But never did two elderly gentlemen, one of whom was 
quite stout, squeeze out of so small a space before. 

“ All I could see was just a little piece of one chair,” 
announced Dick in a tone of regret. “ Is there a secret 
in there, father ? ” 

“Salute your superior officer,” said the General 
gravely. 

The little legs came together, the little arms hung 
stiffiy at his sides, and then one of Dick’s small hands 
touched his forehead as if he had worn a cap, and de- 
scribing an angle, descended again to his side. 

“ Your post is changed to the library or the up-stairs 
rooms until dinner time,” said the General, “ and no 
questions are allowed.” 

Then the General marched into the library, followed 
by the Admiral, who was chuckling audibly. 

“ To think of that scrap of a boy taking military 
orders,” said the Admiral. “ Does he like it ? ” 

“ Like it ! ” said the General. “ Didn’t you see his 
face ? He’s as proud as Punch when I treat him as I 
do the others. Every one of my boys wants to go into 
the army. Malcolm’s eyes will bar him out from 
active warfare, but he’s settled it that he’ll be the chap- 
lain of some regiment. He’s talked it over with our 


50 TAe Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 

minister and his Sunday-school teacher, and they 
haven’t discouraged him much.” 

“You have a fine set of boys,” said the Admiral 

wistfully. “I wish You would have been a 

better man to bring up Jack than I have proved 
myself.” 

“ Nothing of the sort,” said the General, laying his 
hand on his old friend’s shoulder for a moment. “ He’s 
a fine young fellow, and you’ll be prouder of him with 
every year he lives.” 

“ I’m proud enough of him now,” said the Admiral, 
“ but — I haven’t been fair to Nancy. The boy has had 
so much, there’s little left for her. And my invest- 
ments — I never had any head for business — have not 
prospered.” 

“ The boy’s your best investment,” persisted the Gen- 
eral ; “ dear little Nancy would be the first to say so. 
As for her, why, there are friends who stand ready — I 

should say ” the General faltered under the keen 

eyes turned on him. 

“ She wants for nothing,” said the Admiral fiercely. 
“ Can you see that she lacks anything needful ? I was 
only speaking of the years to come.” 

“ Why, of course she has a beautiful home and the 
best care,” said the General lamely, adding to himself. 


A Real Santa Claus 


5» 

I shall have to tell Mary I made a botch of it, at the 
very beginning.” 

“ Then let us say no more on the subject,” and the Ad- 
miral sat stiffly down in his chair at the chess table, 
motioning his guest to the other. “ You are loading us 
with favors, as it is. I think it was your play when we 
were called to the parlor, was it not ? ” 

“ It was,” said the General, meekly, “ and a pretty 
corner you’ve driven me into ! ” 

“ That was my design,” and the Admiral, his temper 
calmed, leaned back in his chair and surveyed the 
board with triumph. 

Dinner was a somewhat hurried and informal meal 
that day, and scarcely a sentence was begun and ended 
properly, for every one, save little Dick who ate his 
dinner in wide-eyed silence, had something to conceal, 
and was in constant danger of betra3ring it. 

“ I thought we had pretty fair shops at home,” said 
Malcolm, “but there’s one in Potterville, mother, that 
goes ahead of any city shop that I ever saw. Why, 
you can get ” 

Here Jack gave a sepulchral, warning cough, and 
Malcolm stopped short. 

“ It’s the best I ever saw,” he ended. 

“ It’s a first-rate shop,” said Ted with conviction. 


52 TAe Admiral' s Liittle Housekeeper 

“ Fine,” said Koger. 

“Are you going into town again this afternoon, 
Jack?” asked Mrs. Compton. “Because if you are 

you may get me — oh ” and Mrs. Compton paused 

as a low groan came from the door where Aunt Sylvia 
was handing over a precious dish to Betty. “ I’d bet- 
ter wait a little,” she finished with a smile. 

“ I thought perhaps I’d send Sylvanus in this after- 
noon,” said Jack, “ for after I’ve started the boys coast- 
ing, I want to help about, er — I want to help ” 

“ You and I seem to be the only ones wdthout any 
secret, father,” said Marguerite across the table ; but the 
General scoffed at her. 

“ I don’t know anything about you,” he said, “ but I 
want you to understand, young lady, that a great many 
secrets have been confided to me, both about — ouch ! ” 
cried the General, turning reproachfully to his wife. 
“ You needn’t have done that, Mary. I knew when to 
stop.” 

“ Oh, well, I have been confided in, too,” said Mar- 
guerite, airily. “ I only said that for fear you might 
be feeling left out.” 

“ Indeed, miss ! ” said the General, severely, and 
when Marguerite nodded at him across the table, every 
one laughed. 


A Real Santa Claus 


53 

There was one part of the program for the day which 
little Dick did not understand or relish. He was re- 
quested to go to bed at five o’clock in the afternoon, in- 
stead of sitting up until six, which was his usual bedtime. 
The explanations offered him failed to be quite con- 
vincing. 

“I wouldn’t be too tired to do the things to- 
morrow if I sat up till six,” he said to Haney who 
was endeavoring to coax him, as he stood, with a 
mutinous little frown on his forehead, at his mother’s 
side; and when Aunt Sylvia offered her explana- 
tion he was still doubtful though somewhat more 
resigned. 

“ Santy Claus will be coming ’long in de middle ob 
de night if he come at all, little honey boy,” said Aunt 
Sylvia, “ and if you don’ go to bed till late as six o’clock, 
you’d be sound, sound asleep when he’d come, ‘ tinkly- 
tinkly, jingle, jangle,’ along de road, and up on de roof 
and down de chimbley. And if you is sound asleep, 
don’ you know nobody’s gwine wake you up ? But if 
you totes off to bed at five o’clock, you’ll be over yo’ 
first dreams, and sleeping jess light an’ easy, and 
’twouldn’t s’prise Aunt Sylvy if you saw Santy Claus 
right in dis yer house.” 

‘‘ We-e-1,” said little Dick. It had been an exciting 


54 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

day ; there was no use in missing any possible chance. 
“ Then p’r’aps I’d better go.” 

He went to sleep in his bed, but it was no surprise to 
him to find himself in quite another place when he 
awoke. The same thing had happened to Dick a num- 
ber of times ; there was no special reason for expecting 
to wake in the place where you went to sleep. He 
rubbed his eyes and looked about him. He was in one 
corner of the long sofa in the hall, covered with a great 
warm shawl, and with a soft piUow under his head, which 
was turned, so that on fairly opening his eyes he saw 
Nancy, standing by the door that led into the library, 
her fingers on her lips, as if she said “ Hush ! ” As she 
caught Dick’s eye, she pointed toward the fireplace, 
and slipped into the library, out of sight. 

Little Dick looked over his shoulder ; as he did so he 
heard a faint jingling of bells that seemed to come from 
overhead. And there, his broad back turned to Dick, 
his hands stufBng something in Dick’s stocking — 
which was really an unusual size for a little boy ! — 
stood Santa Claus. There was no mistaking his red, 
fur-trimmed coat and cap, or his white hair and bushy 
beard. 

Dick coughed in a very gentle and cautious manner, 
and at the sound Santa Claus wheeled about. There 


A Real Santa Claus 


55 

was his ruddy face, and there were his twinkling 
eyes. 

“ Ah, ha ! young man ! ” he said in a deep voice. 
“ So you’ve caught me.” 

“ Yes, sir,” said Dick politely, “ but I didn’t see what 
you were putting in my stocking.” 

“ Your stocking ! ” said Santa Claus. “ Well, I must 
say ! Let me see your feet.” 

“ It’s one of Marguerite’s,” said little Dick ; “ but 
my name is on it. Didn’t you see that ? ” 

“ I’U admit that I did,” said Santa Claus. “ Christ- 
mas is such a time for borrowing stockings that nothing 
surprises me. Perhaps you can tell me what young 
gentleman now visiting here wears a silver star in 
token that he is the chosen knight of Miss Nancy 
Beaumont.” 

Little Dick unwrapped the shawl and stood on the 
floor. Queerly enough the silver star was pinned to his 
flannel nightgown, in the very best place to show. 

See,” said little Dick, pointing proudly to his decora- 
tion. 

“ Ah,” said Santa Claus. “ Then will you kindly put 
on these moccasins and this fur coat I happened to have 
in my pack, and show me the way to Miss Nancy’s 
door, and then to Miss Marguerite Compton’s ? ” 


56 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

Dick was almost strangled with pride, as Santa Clans 
helped him into his coat. He put up his hand and pulled 
down the ear of his Christmas guest. 

“ S-sh ! ” he whispered. “ She’s — in — the — library.’’ 

Santa Claus puffed out his cheeks and made his eyes 
bulge. 

“ S-sh, indeed,” he said between his teeth. Lead, 
and I’U foUow.” 

On tiptoe Dick led the way, Santa following, step- 
ping very lightly for a person of his build, with a pack 
on his shoulders. 

“Aren’t the others to have anything from your 
pack ? ” whispered Dick when the square bundles had 
been left at Haney’s door and Marguerite’s, and one still 
larger at his mother’s. 

“ I put theirs inside the parlor door before you woke,” 
said Santa Claus. 

“Didn’t you see ‘Ho Admittance’ on the door?” 
asked Dick as they tiptoed down-stairs. 

“ Oh, that wasn’t meant for me,” said Santa Claus. 
“ I go wherever I like. How you take off the coat and 
slippers, hop up on that sofa again, and I’ll tuck you 
in. Then you shut your eyes— tight — and don’t open 
them again till you hear my bells jingle.” 

It might have been five minutes — it might have been 


A Real Santa Claus 


57 


ten — before little Dick, bis head on the pillow, his eyes 
tightly screwed together, heard the faint jingle of the 
bells from above ; then there was a sound as if some- 
thing bumped down to the snow from the roof, and 
then more jingling, growing fainter and fainter till it 
died away. He sat up, and opened his eyes wide. The 
candles were spluttering in their sockets, the big hall 
was growing dark. The old clock struck twelve, 
slowly and solemnly. 

With the last stroke there appeared in the library 
doorway the tall figure of Aunt Sylvia, with Haney at 
her side. 

“ What did I tell you, little honey boy ? ” said Aunt 
Sylvia, as she gathered Dick up into her long arms. 
‘‘ Isn’t you glad now you went to bed at five o’clock ? ” 

“Yes, I am,” said Dick. He looked down at the 
sofa. “ Where did the coat and moccasins go ? ” he 
asked sleepily. 

‘‘ You wait till to-morrow day,” said Aunt Sylvia. 

Santy Claus is no Injun giver.” 

“ Sleep well, holiday knight,” said Haney as little 
Dick was borne up-stairs. “It’s all safe now,” she 
added softly, and out from the darkness of the library 
came the Admiral, with the General, Marguerite an4 
Malcolm, Ted and Koger. 


58 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

“ Mother got up-stairs like a mouse while his eyes 
were shut,” said Malcolm. 

“ Stillest thing I ever saw,” said Ted. 

“ Couldn’t hear a step,” said Koger. 

Then from the door at the back of the hall in stepped 
Santa Claus, much shrunken in figure and without his 
white hair and beard, while behind him came Betty, 
with a tall pitcher of steaming lemonade. 

“ That was good practice for to-morrow night,” said 
Jack, stamping his feet. 

“ You were fine,” said Malcolm. 

“ The best I ever saw,” said Ted. 

“ Best I ever saw, too,” said Koger. 

Up-stairs little Dick was saying to his mother, “ I’ve 
seen him, mother, and he talked to me, and — I mustn’t 
teU you any more, but you’ll know to-morrow, he was 
a real Santa Claus ! ” 


CHAPTER VI 


CAROLS AND OATS 

It seemed to Haney as if her cheek had scarcely 
touched her pillow when she opened her eyes again to 
find the first pale light of the Christmas morning steal- 
ing into her room. She sprang out of bed, and running 
to her bureau she took out from one of the drawers a soft 
package wrapped in white tissue-paper and tied with 
a red ribbon. Attached to the ribbon was a small card 
on which was painted a sprig of holly and underneath 
it: “Merry Christmas to Marguerite, with Haney’s 
love.” 

She lifted the tapestry and laid the package carefully 
in the secret drawer, and touched the spring; the 
drawer shot forward, and Haney crept back to bed, 
hugging herself delightedly. 

“ The little click will wake her up, I think,” said 
Haney, “and then she’ll see the drawer is open, and 
she’ll run to it. I hope she’ll like that little bag ; Aunt 
Sylvia thought it was pretty, and so did Mrs. Potter ; 
she told me she’d seen ‘ hundreds of bags, but never 
59 


6o The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

one like that,’ and she looked very flattering, I thought. 
There, I hear Marguerite ! She’s opening her door.” 

“May I come in?” asked Marguerite, and Nancy 
called a blithe welcome to her, and a “ Merry 
Christmas.” 

“ That makes twice you’ve said it, before I had a 
chance,” Marguerite complained laughingly, as she 
snuggled into bed and gave Nancy her Christmas kiss. 
“ I was afraid to call it for fear you weren’t awake. I 
suppose the click of the drawer waked me, but I didn’t 
hear it; I just opened my eyes and saw the drawer 
out, and I didn’t know but you might have done it last 
night, after I went to sleep. Oh, Nancy, I’ve brought 
my package in here to unwrap, because there’s one in 
the drawer for you, now, and I want to see your face 
when you look at it. And then there are our packages 
from Santa Claus to open, too. I thought we’d better 
do those together, so I brought mine.” 

Nancy ran to the tapestry again, lifted it, moved the 
sliding panel and took out from the drawer a small 
flat package. 

“Now we never could decide which of us should 
open her package first,” said Marguerite, “so let us 
open them precisely together, Nancy. You count, 
‘ one, two, three,’ and then we’ll untie the bows ; then 


Carols and Cats 6i 

‘four, five, six,’ and we’ll slip off the papers. 
Now" ” 

“ One, two, three,” said Nancy, and the ribbon bows 
were untied ; “ four, five, six,” and the soft wrappings 
were fiung off on the coverlet, and there were two 
“ 0-o-h’s ” from the little girls sitting up in bed with 
pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. 

“ ‘ For your party slippers,’ ” read Marguerite. “ Oh, 
Nancy ! ” 

“ ‘ For your bureau and your neck,’ ” read Nancy. 
“ Oh, Marguerite ! ” 

“Did you do that wonderful embroidery?” asked 
Marguerite in a voice of awe. “Those darling little 
pink daisies on that beautiful Imen ? And that little 
vine running down the middle to make a pocket for 
each slipper. How could you, Nancy ? ” 

“ Why, that’s the only kind of work that seems like 
play to me,” said Nancy. “ I love to do it ; and the 
Christmas daisies are like, you, I think. But my 
present. Marguerite, is too beautiful ! It would have 
made me just perfectly happy to have your photograph 
in this dear little frame; but a necklace, too! Oh, 
Marguerite ! ” 

“ The necklace is made of little tourmalines with the 
silver links between, you see,” said Marguerite. 


62 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

‘‘Mother helped me choose that, and she said your 
grandfather would be willing for you to wear it, be- 
cause it’s so simple. When you’re grown up father 
says you’ll have some wonderful old Beaumont jewelry 
to wear ; he’s seen it. But, Nancy, when you speak of 
that picture frame — ^please take special notice of that 
spray of forget-me-nots. I did those — every stitch of 
them ! ” 

“Why, Marguerite Compton,” cried Nancy, “I 
thought you’d told me you couldn’t embroider. I sup- 
posed this little frame was bought just the way it is 
now. I shall think more of it than ever. And your 
photograph is sweet.” 

“ I never have embroidered before,” said Marguerite, 
“and I don’t know as I ever shall again, Nancy. I 
spoiled four frames before I got one that mother 
thought would do at all. And this one looks better a 
good way off than it does close to, Nancy. Malcolm 
says that spray of forget-me-nots is not a bit like the 
real flowers ; but of course I told him art is quite dif- 
ferent from nature.” Marguerite gazed thoughtfully 
at her slipper-case. “ I don’t know as he’d better see 
these daisies,” she added. 

After a few minutes they opened the packages which 
Santa Claus had left at their doors the night before. 


Carols and Cats 


63 

Marguerite’s was a pink box, and on it lay a card with 
“ Best Christmas wishes to Miss Marguerite from Jack 
Beaumont” on it. Nancy’s was a blue box with 
“Christmas love to the dearest little sister in the 
world, from Jack,” on the card. 

Inside the boxes were layers of candy, many kinds 
and colors, with a goodly number of the chocolates so 
much enjoyed by both the little girls. 

“ I feel so proud to have a box just like yours, and 
yet entirely different, from your grown-up brother,” 
said Marguerite, as she tasted a candied nut. “ Ever 
since he sent that telephone message about Jessie, say- 
ing we could not buy her after all, I have admired him 
very much. Before that I felt he was not quite worthy 
of you, Nancy.” 

“ Worthy of me ! ” exclaimed Nancy. “ Why, Mar- 
guerite ! All I think about is being worthy of Jack, 
and of grandfather. It’s so responsible to try to be a 
Beaumont, when you really are exactly like the Frost 
side of your family, who were not quite so fearless and 
brave.” 

“Pooh!” said Marguerite airily. “Mother says 
there are a good many kinds of bravery, and I notice 
it myself, more and more, the older I grow. Don’t 
you breathe it, if I tell you something — I suppose my 


64 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

father was probably the bravest man in the whole 
army; Malcolm says he thinks so, and he’s a great 
reader of history — he says few heroes compare favor- 
ably with father, in his opinion — well, my dear child, 
that man is as afraid to go to the dentist as — ^as Koger ! 
Isn’t that a revelation ? ” 

IS^ancy had no time to give her opinion on that 
point, for at the moment there came from the hall 
the sound of steps and of talking, subdued but still 
audible. Then there was a soft “JSTow!” and then 
four voices. Jack’s and those of Malcolm, Ted and 
Roger. 

“ Sing, oh, sing, this blessed morn,” came the words 
of the old carol, and through the house doors opened 
and the listeners stood tiU the last verse was finished. 
Then there was the sound of clapping hands, and 
“ Merry Christmas ! Merry Christmas ! ” from door to 
door. 

“Let us hurry and get dressed, Marguerite,” said 
Nancy, “ so we shan’t miss any of the holiday — ^not a 
single scrap. Do the boys always sing as weU as 
that?” 

“They do not,” said Marguerite with emphasis as 
she gathered up her presents to carry back to her room. 
“ But they know a few tunes from Sunday-school, and 


Carols and Cats 65 

on those few tunes, father says, they could challenge 
the world, he thinks, to outsing them.” 

One thing followed another so quickly all that 
Christmas Day that Marguerite, who kept a diary, was 
obliged to run up to her room half a dozen times to 
make what she called a “ jotting.” 

“ They are just to remind me, Nancy, you know,” 
she explained ; “ so in after years when I read these 
diaries of mine, it will bring back the time, as if it were 
yesterday. I do a good many of them in a short-hand 
I’ve invented. See — ^last Hallowe’en I went to a party, 
and I have it all down here. Here is ‘ fro-gym-hats ’ 
in one place ; that means — well, I can’t think just now 
what it means, but it will aU return to my memory 
later ; you know it always does to old ladies. I’ve put 
down for to-day all about the breakfast pie, with the 
trinkets we each had from father, and about Dick’s 
having the trumpet and playing page all day — no, I 
mean herald ; and how I tried to take photographs of 
the dinner table with us all at it. 

“ And I’ve mentioned the pig, because he was one of 
the family on my first visit, and he was so delicious 
for dinner, and looked so attractive. Then of course 
I’ve told about the exhibition in the barn, and how 
wonderful Jessie was, and about the medal you gave 


66 The AdmiraVs Little Housekeeper 

Sylvanus. I’ve finished up to this very minute — four 
o’clock p. M. is my last date, and I’ve used up the pages 
way over to December twenty-eighth.” 

“You must like to write better than I do, Mar- 
guerite,” said I^ancy. “ Do you feel sleepy ? Wouldn’t 
it be dreadful if we had to keep putting our hands up 
to our mouths to-night, when I’m sure the party will 
be the most exciting of all.” 

Just then the General came out into the haU where 
the two little girls were sitting close together on the 
old sofa. 

“ See here,” said the General, “ I shall have to put 
you two under military discipline. I order a fatigue 
drill at once.” 

^Tancy sat up, smiling, but uncertain what to do. 
Marguerite, however, rose, drawing Nancy’s hand 
through her arm, and standing in a very loose-jointed 
attitude. 

“ For the family that means a nap, or at any rate 
lying down in a wrapper,” she said. “Come along, 
Nancy dear.” 

The Admiral was asleep in the library, the three 
admirers of Jack were out somewhere in the snow with 
him ; Mrs. Compton was up-stairs with little Dick, and 
the General had followed Nancy and Marguerite to his 


Carols and Cats 


67 

suite.” Aunt Sylvia was asleep in the kitchen, and 
Betty was painfuUy reading the “ Potterville Clarion.” 
All these things Julia Frost discovered on her soft- 
footed tour of inspection. She pushed open the door 
into the hall, and bade her two kittens follow her. 

“IS'ow,” said Julia Frost, in language understood 
by her immediate family, “ we can have the fire to our- 
selves for a while. Watch me curl up on the rug for a 
Christmas nap, and then imitate me as nearly as pos- 
sible. There’s been so much going on to-day, and I’ve 
had to keep so carefully out from underfoot, and see 
that you two did the same, that I’ve hardly drawn 
a long breath — and I’m all worn out. We must be 
ready for evening, when very likely we shall be wanted 
to help entertain the guests. 'Now don’t let me hear 
another word from either of you till I give you leave 
to speak.” 

The kittens obeyed so well that they were fast 
asleep in five minutes. It was a few minutes later 
that Julia Frost, who was lying well away from them, 
silently uncurled herself, and after a glance at her 
children, stepped noiselessly to the parlor door. Lying 
stretched out on the floor she applied her nose to the 
crack under the door with most satisfactory results. 

I thought as much,” she remarked to herself as she 


68 The AdmiraTs Tittle Housekeeper 

resumed an upright position and returned with cautious 
footsteps to the exact spot on the rug which she had 
left a moment before. “ It smells like the woods in 
that room, and I can see green. I am looking forward 
to a very pleasant evening.” 


CHAPTEK VII 


THE admiral’s GUESTS 

When Nancy woke after her nap it was to the sound 
of a rocking-chair, creaking gently to and fro. 

“ Is it time for me to get dressed, Aunt Sylvia ? ” 
asked Nancy, smiling at her old nurse. “And have 
you come to help me into my dress? Oh, Aunt 
Sylvia, don’t you almost wish I had a new one for the 
company? But my beautiful new necklace will be 
enough to change my old dress, won’t it ? ” 

“ Is you casted yo’ eye at what’s in Aunt Sylvy’s 
lap?” asked the old woman. “Is you ’customed to 
seeing Aunt Sylvy holding de end ob a sheet off fr’m 
her lap, and sitting close to de mndow-seat whar 
dere’s more sheet spread out loose, an’ humped up high ? 
I reckon my lamb isn’t half waked up, or else she’d 
have a teeny mite ob cur’osity.” 

“ Oh, Aunt Sylvia, what is it ? ” cried Nancy, jump- 
ing from the bed and running to her old mammy. 
“Why — why — where did it come from — that lovely 
dress ? ” 

“It come from Mis’ Gen’l Compton,” said Aunt 
69 


70 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

Sylvia, rising and holding before I^ancy’s enchanted 
eye a lovely little frock of softest blue with a shimmer 
of silvery white beneath it. “ Miss Marguerite has one 
de precise image ob dis, only ’cepting it has pink where 
dis is blue, and kind o’ fawn color where dis is silvery, 
and daisies where dis has forget-me-nots.” 

Aunt Sylvia held the dress at arm’s length and 
moved it so that the shimmer of the silver gleamed 
through the fluffy blue. 

“ And who you s’pose gives you dis present ’longside 
o’ Mis’ Gen’l Compton ? ” she asked. 

“ The General ? ” breathed Nancy, one Anger on the 
fluff of blue, where a bunch of forget-me-nots caught it 
into a filmy rosette. 

“ Not de Gen’l,” said Aunt Sylvia proudly. “ Isn’t 
dere any one else would nachelly give you de best she 
could find ? ’Tis yo’ ole Aunt Sylvy ; an’ she earned 
it ! Half o’ de prices o’ dis beautiful dress Aunt Sylvy 
earned, an’ sent de money in a letter to Miss Mar- 
guerite, dat ’Yanus printed all out himself, and posted 
and got de answer from. It had one o’ dose big long 
stamps on it to make it go quick, and it had a square 
one to make it go safe, and ’Yanus he kep’ de slip 6’ 
paper Bartley Pearson was ’bleeged to give him, in de 
heel o’ his best boots till he got de receipts an’ de letter 


The Admiral's Guests 71 

from Miss Marguerite. An’ her mother wrote me, be- 
sides; dat was why I felt ’quainted with Mis’ Gen’l 
Compton befo’ ever I saw her. Don’ look at me dat 
way, my lamb,” begged Aunt Sylvia as she laid the 
beautiful little frock on the bed and held out her arms 
to hTancy. 

l^anoy’s hand was at her throat, where it was so apt 
to go, when there was no one to criticize, and some- 
thing moved her greatly. But when she saw Aunt 
Sylvia’s pleading face she went to the old arms and let 
herself be drawn down to sit on the crackling apron 
that covered the best black dress. 

“ An’ de Admiral he was willing,” said Aunt Sylvia, 
“so you no need to worry ’bout dat. He s’poses I 
save de money out o’ my wages dat he pays me,” and 
she chuckled gleefully. “ Dat’s what he s’poses. He 
ain’ ask me, so I didn’ hab de ’cessity of telling him. 
An’ don’ you ask me now, my lamb, fo’ ’tis a kind o’ 
mixed-up, long story. We’!! leave dat till when de 
company is gone.” 

“I wish I could earn some money,” said Haney, 
while Aunt Sylvia was tying her curls with a ribbon 
which matched the new dress exactly. “We need a 
good many things. Aunt Sylvia, that money would 
get us»” 


72 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

“We’ll have some o’ dose t’ings,” said Aunt Sylvia 
firmly. “ Now, hoi’ yo’ breath, my lamb, while I put 
dis over yo’ haid. Dere ! now. I’ll sit down an’ you 
back up to me an’ I’ll fasten de hooks. I’s sewed ’em 
all over to make suah dey’s strong; dose city dress- 
makers, dey has style, but dey hasn’t de carefulness o’ 
home sewers, no ma’am ! My ! how Bartley Pearson 
did reason an’ arguefy wid ’Yanus, telling him ’t would 
be better to send a slip o’ paper dat he called a ‘ order,’ 
’stead o’ de real money. So he could see jess how much 
’twas, o’ course. 

“But — Yanus — he — hel’ — ^firm,” said Aunt Sylvia, 
pressing a hook into its proper eye with each word. 
“ He ain’ my chile for nuffin’ ; an’ his father had 
consid’able will-powers, too. Now, honey, you is a 
picture, suah ! I’ll go hook up Miss Marguerite next, 
an’ you run in an’ show yo’self to Mis’ Gen’l Compton.” 

“ You come with me,” said Nancy, holding fast to 
Aunt Sylvia’s hand. “ It won’t take a minute longer, 
and Marguerite will have that minute more to sleep.” 

“ All I say, my lamb,” whispered Aunt Sylvia when 
Marguerite was arrayed, and the two little girls were 
starting down the broad stairs together half an hour 
later, “ don’ sit down any more dan is nec’ssary, befo’ 
de comp’ny comes. I want dat Mis’ Potter dat’s so 


The Admiral' s Guests 


73 


high an’ mighty in her feelings to be jess bowed down 
wid admiration; an’ when once a dress like dat is 
squashed, why, it look squashed — dat’s all.” 

Promptly at six o’clock the first guest arrived. It 
was Bartley Pearson, who had closed the post-oflBlce at 
three o’clock to go home and ink the seams of his best 
coat, and iron a white tie. Mr. Pearson’s moon-shaped 
face wore its most interested expression, as he was 
ushered into the library after his coat and hat had been 
taken by Sylvanus, not to mention a pair of overshoes 
and several yards of knitted scarf. 

“You needn’t trouble to set those in any special 
place,” he said graciously to Sylvanus, “ for my name 
is painted in red on the inside of the soles of my over- 
shoes, on a band in my hat, and on the hanging strap 
of my overcoat. The muffler I can easily identify.” 

“ So can anybody else that’s ever had the opportu- 
nities and experiences of seeing you in the winter 
solstitch,” remarked Sylvanus as he put Mr. Pearson’s 
garments in the big hall closet, emptied for the guests ; 
but his mother reproved him sharply. 

“Don’t you begin criticizing de guests, ’Yanus,” she 
said in a tone of warning. “You better keep dat 
mind o’ yours on not stretching roun’ in dat suit ob 
Mr. Jack’s, fo’ 'de seams is perilous nigh to bu’sting al- 


74 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

ready ; I’s got to see ’bout reducing yo’ flesh soon’s dis 
holiday time’s over. Hurry up 1 dar’s somebody else 
coming to de piazza.” 

Mrs. Potter and her husband were the next guests to 
arrive, but they were closely followed by others of the 
townspeople. All Haney’s special friends were there, 
beside many others who were the fortunate parents of 
children old enough to be brought to the Christmas 
party. The little girl who had carried the bottle of 
spring water for Haney to drink on her memorable ride 
in the freight car was there with her mother, in a 
bright plaid dress, her pride shining from her eyes ; the 
freckle-faced boy who had held Jessie was there, too, 
his round features scrubbed and glistening from soap 
and an extra application of cold cream. Mr. Hobbs, 
Mr. Lord and Mr. Lamson were also among the guests. 

“ Miss Haney treats me more politely than I treated 
her the first time she came to visit me,” said Mr. 
Lamson to Marguerite, with a laugh. “ Is your grand- 
father any more resigned to the Beaumont Block ? ” he 
asked Haney with a cautious glance at the Admiral, 
standing patiently under a fire of advice as to his 
“ rheumatism ” from Mrs. Potter. 

Haney shook her head. 

“ Hot much more,” she said ; “ but my brother Jack 


The Admiral's Guests 75 

doesn’t mind a bit. And the Compton boys think 
Stone’s is the best shop they ever saw.” 

“I heard they approved of it,” said Mr. Lamson. 
‘‘ 'Now, Miss l^ancy, will your grandfather object to 
having a little account of this gathering in ‘The 
Potterville Clarion ’ ? I might head it ‘ A Eevival of 
Old-Time Hospitality. Admiral Beaumont entertains 
the townspeople at the historic home.’ How do you 
think that would strike him ? ” 

“Please ask Jack,” said Haney. “He can make 
grandfather like anything, I think. How please ex- 
cuse Marguerite and me, for we must form the children 
into a procession ; the parlor doors are to be opened 
in about five minutes.” 

It was a gay little procession which formed, with 
Dick Compton at its head, his herald’s trumpet in his 
hand, Haney and Marguerite close behind him, and the 
freckle-faced boy with Eoger next in line. Dick was 
close to the parlor door, but the procession wound 
crisscross around the hall, and over into the library, 
ending with Mr. Hobbs and Mr. Lamson. 

“ See Bart Pearson in there with the children, among 
the first,” said Mr. Hobbs tolerantly to his companion. 
“ I suppose he’s just as keen after his Christmas present 
and the first sight of the tree as when he was a boy. 


76 T^e Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 

Bart’s kept just about the same all his days ; never 
really grew up. Hi there ! Hear that trumpet ! ” 

At a given signal — a preliminary squeak of the parlor 
door — little Dick raised his trumpet and blew a brave 
and thrilling blast. The door opened, and there stood 
Santa Claus, bowing to the company from the centre 
of a veritable greenwood. A green cloth covered the 
carpet, and through the whole length of the room 
were scattered little fir trees, the tubs in which they 
were placed concealed by branches of pine and spruce. 
The walls were festooned with evergreen, and sprays 
of holly glistened here and there. In the middle of 
the miniature wood was a tall tree, lighted by many 
candles and hung with gay tinsel and sparkling things 
of many kinds. 

There were festoons of pop-corn on all the trees, and 
loops of brightly colored paper. There were stockings 
of open mesh through which candy might be plainly 
seen ; there were horns and whistles and puzzles — dolls 
and picture-books and games. 

“ I understand there is a tree for each family present, 
whether it consists of one member or five or six,” an- 
nounced Santa Claus; “these trees are to be taken 
home by the guests and kept as long as they can be of 
any pleasure or service; after which, I hope each 


The Admiral' s Guests 


77 


family will burn its tree, and not throw it on the ash 
heap,” said Santa Claus, “ for most of us know how 
sad that would make the little trees feel. And now to 
business. May I ask Mr. Bartley Pearson to step for- 
ward and receive his gift ? ” 

I expect he thought Bart would explode if he was 
kept waiting,” whispered Mrs. Potter to her husband. 
“ He’s so full of curiosity. What do you suppose is in 
that little box ? You step over and see him open it, 
why don’t you ? ” 

For more than an hour there was the sound of 
laughter and many childish voices in the old house. 
At last the Admiral, still valiantly smiling, but tired 
out, retreated to the library, and that was the signal 
for the departure of the guests, the first move being 
made with much elegant precision by Mrs. Potter. 
The others followed quickly in her train, and in a short 
time the last sleigh had jingled down the road, and the 
last merry good-night had been called back through the 
frosty air. 

Only Julia Frost and her kittens remained in the 
parlor, under the big tree. 

“ Hide now,” commanded Julia, “ and we may sleep 
here under the branches all night. It’s a rare chance.” 

The kittens obeyed her, and Aunt Sylvia’s old eyes 


78 The AdmiraV s Little Housekeeper 

failed to notice the quivering of the branches that 
sheltered Julia and her family. 

Little Dick, his coat and moccasins clasped in his 
arms, his trumpet sticking from a pocket and his silver 
star, a trifle awry but still gleaming, was carried up to 
bed by Santa Claus. 

“ I know you now,” he said. “ You are Mr. Jack ; 
but last night I thought you were a truly Santa Claus, 
and I’m glad — I — did,” ended Little Dick with as wide a 
yawn as his small mouth could give. 

“ I’m glad too,” said Nancy, standing in the hall with 
Marguerite. “Don’t you think it was a pleasant party, 
grandfather ? ” 

“ It was a delightful occasion,” said Admiral Beau- 
mont, “ and I wish to thank our guests and you, too, my 
dear, for making it so.” 

“And dat dress isn’t but jess a little teeny mite 
squashed,” said Aunt Sylvia as she recounted the joys 
of the evening. “ And you were Beaumonty-mannered 
enough to please yo’ grandfather an’ all his grand- 
fathers, my lamb. But do you know who you look jess 
like all dis evening ? ” 

“ Oh, Aunt Sylvy,” whispered Nancy. “ Did I look 
like her ? ” 

Aunt Sylvia nodded. 


The Admiral' s Guests 


79 


“Jess fo’ all de worP like yo’ lady mother, you 
looked,” she said; “an’ you couldn’ look like nuffin’ 
sweeter, no matter if you s’arch de worl’ ober, my 
lamb.” 


CHAPTEE yni 


ROGER WINS A STAR 

Malcolm, Ted and Eoger had a great deal to talk 
over that night. There was, in fact, so much to be said, 
that Malcolm, after a short consultation with Ted, ex- 
tended an invitation to Eoger which nearly took his 
breath away, for it was the first of the sort he had 
ever received. 

Eoger had reluctantly gone through the door which 
led to his room from the one occupied by his brothers. 
Like all the rooms, it had a second door, leading into 
the hall, but it was much more social to go and come 
through Malcolm’s room, Eoger thought, and it pre- 
served the character of a “ suite ” on which Aunt Sylvia 
insisted. 

He was just ready to get into bed when Malcolm’s 
face, his spectacles making two spots of light, appeared 
in the doorway. 

“ As long as it’s Christmas, and you’ve been with us 
in everything all day, kid, you may come in and bunk 
with us, if you like,” said Malcolm in an offhand way. 

80 


8i 


Roger Wins a Star 

“ There are a few more points we want to talk over. 
You’ll have to sleep on the edge of the bed, but I don’t 
suppose you’ll mind that.” 

Mind it ! It seemed to Eoger that they must hear 
his heart bumping against his side with joy ; but he was 
careful to reply in a tone as nearly like Malcolm’s as he 
could make it. 

“ I don’t mind if I do,” he said carelessly, and 
strolled with unhurried step into his brothers’ room. 

He had little more than the edge of the bed, as 
Malcolm had warned him, but what of that ? It was 
evident that his brothers now regarded him as fully 
grown and able to enter into their plans and opinions ; 
that was more than enough for Koger. When the 
wonderful resources of Stone’s Ten Cent Store, in the 
Beaumont Block, were recounted, Eoger took his full 
share of the conversation. It was he who remembered 
certain small hammers with bright red handles, ac- 
companied by boxes of assorted nails, which they had 
all noticed. 

“I’m glad you spoke of them,” said Malcohn; “a 
hammer like that and a box of nails comes in handy for 
a fellow now and then. If you and I go to that boys’ 
camp next summer, Ted, we’ll probably need just such 
things in our outfit. How Christmas is over I can af- 


82 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

ford to buy a few things for myself out of my allow- 
ance.” 

“ I tell you what,” said Ted, “ I think before we go 
home we’d better look over that stock pretty thoroughly, 
and buy what we need. We might ask Jack Beau- 
mont’s advice ; he has a lot of sense.” 

“I think he’s fine,” said Koger. “I saw a screw- 
driver there, too ; it had a hollow handle with three or 
four different things you could fit in ; a kind of gimlet, 
and a sharp thing like a knife. It looked pretty good 
to me.” 

Malcolm raised his head from the pillow and looked 
through the darkness, past Ted, at Koger. 

“You’re a sharp little chap,” he said graciously. 
“ What do you say, Ted, to asking father to let him go 
to camp the second year with us, if we like it ? ” 

“ I call it a pretty good idea,” said Ted. 

“ All right, that’s settled,” said Malcolm ; “ now let’s 
shut up and go to sleep ; there’s a good deal to be done 
to-morrow, you know. Good-night, kid.” 

“ Good-night,” said Koger, his heart bumping at his 
side again. 

Malcolm and Ted were soon asleep, but Koger lay 
there on the edge of the bed, thinking and planning 
what he would do to keep the high regard in which his 


Roger IVins a Star 83 

brothers now held him. Eoger was of slighter build 
than Malcolm or Ted, but he was as straight as a little 
rod, with muscles that were like wires, and most un- 
usual strength for a boy of his age. 

As he lay there, he heard a sound like the opening 
of a door ; a door directly opposite thehs, Eoger would 
have said, had he been asked ; his hearing was remark- 
ably acute. 

“ But it can’t be that door,” he thought, wondering a 
little ; “ that’s the door into the room where Dick sleeps ; 
nobody ’d open that.” 

He listened again; for a moment it seemed as if 
something brushed along the wall; then all was still 
again ; but Eoger sat up on his elbow. 

“ It’s my imagination — that’s what it is, I suppose,” 
he said to himself ; then, suddenly, a thought popped 
into his mind. 

“ When Dick was three, he used to get up and trot 
around in his sleep, once in a while ; he hasn’t done it 
for two years, but he might,” thought Eoger ; “ and he 
showed me that door this morning — the queer old latch 
on it. And father and mother are probably sound 
asleep. I’d better see.” 

He slid out of bed — an easy matter — and wrapping 
himself in a great blanket Aunt Sylvia had laid on a 


84 T/ie Admiral' s Ltittle Housekeeper 

near-by chair, “ jess in case ’twould be needed fo’ extry,” 
he stole through the doorway to his own room, and 
noiselessly lifted the latch, and opened the door into the 
hall. Then he listened again. 

At first he heard nothing ; then there was the sound 
of a little voice, talking softly. 

“ That’s just what’s happened,” said Koger. “ Now 
I must go and look out for him. No use to wake 
mother up, for she was tired, and I can see to Dick all 
right. I remember mother said he mustn’t be waked 
up, but I needn’t speak to him or let him see me unless 
he wakes himself. If he does, I’d be there, so he 
wouldn’t be frightened. I can peek down and see 
where he is.” 

The haU was dark, and when Koger, having felt his 
way along to the head of the stairs, looked down, at 
first he could see nothing. When his eyes grew ac- 
customed to the darkness, he could descry little Dick in 
his white flannel nightgown, sitting on the rug before 
the fireplace. 

“ He looks too close,” thought Roger. “ Why, I be- 
lieve he must have pushed the fender away. My ! I 
hope there isn’t any fire left ! ” 

He leaned far over, so that he could see the whole 
fireplace. 


Roger W^ins a Star 8§ 

“ There are some sparks,” said Eoger to himself. “ I 
must go down. He won’t see or hear me if he’s asleep. 
What’s he saying ? ” 

“ This is a beautiful fireplace,” the child’s voice 
chanted softly. “ A beautiful fireplace ; a beautiful 
fireplace ! ” 

“ Maybe he’s awake,” thought Koger, and he stepped 
carefully down the broad stairs. 

But although one of the old boards creaked under his 
feet, little Dick’s face did not turn from the fire. 

“ The biggest fireplace I ever saw,” he chanted on ; 
“ the biggest I ever saw ; the biggest I ever saw.” 

“ He’ll catch cold,” said Koger, “ and then what 
would mother say ? I must manage to put this blanket 
around him.” 

He unwound it from his own shoulders and crept 
along the hall toward his little brother. Suddenly 
there was a puff of wind down the chimney ; a frag- 
ment of wood, alive with fire, was blown out and 
alighted on Dick’s nightgown. There was a quick 
blaze, a frightened cry, and then, before he was fairly 
awake, little Dick was smothered in a great blanket and 
rolled over and over on the rug. 

But the cry had wakened many in the house. There 
were moments of confusion, and startled calls while 


86 The AdmiraV s Little Housekeeper 

Eoger, panting, rolled the little figure on the rug. It 
was all over ; the fire was out, and Dick was safe, with 
only two or three slight burns, when his mother ran 
down the stairs, followed by the General, hTancy and 
Marguerite, Jack, the boys. Aunt Sylvia and Betty, and 
the candles were lighted. 

“ I couldn’t tell you what was the matter because I 
hadn’t time to stop,” explained Eoger to his mother 
and father. “ You see he’d walked down here in his 
sleep.” 

His mother took Dick in her lap, but she kept her 
arm around Eoger, while Aunt Sylvia, half crying, but 
wholly in her element, brought soft cotton and a 
wonderful old salve, and dressed first Dick’s burns, 
and then Eoger’s, for the boy’s hands had suffered 
cruelly. 

“ I was in bed with Malcolm and Ted,” said Eoger, 
looking up at his father with a brave little crooked 
smile as Aunt Sylvia wound the soft cloth around his 
fingers. “ That’s why I heard so plainly ; the door is 
just opposite, you know.” 

“ Yes, I know,” said the General ; “ and I imagine 
Malcolm and Ted hadn’t given you such a large share 
of the bed that you were any too luxurious. I had 
older brothers myself.” 


Roger Wins a Star 87 

“ Oh, I was perfectly comfortable,” said Eoger hastily ; 
“ indeed I was, father.” 

“ That’s good,” said the General ; “ and now I’ll give 
you something else to think of in case you shouldn’t 
fall asleep this time the minute your head touches the 
sheet — or perhaps the boys may spare you a little edge 
of a pillow, on this occasion. Miss E’ancy, may I confer 
with you a moment ? ” 

The household watched while the short conference 
was held, and they saw l^ancy’s face of delight, when 
the General turned from her to Eoger again. 

“ When I stepped up-stairs a moment ago,” said the 
General, “ it was to get a little pin which came into my 
hands some years ago ; it is a sort of medal, star-shaped, 
as you see,” and the General held up a star of dull 
silver, on a crimson ribbon, so they might all look at it. 
“ I did not wish to interfere with Miss ISTancy’s order 
of decorations, but she has graciously permitted me, in 
view of the somewhat unusual circumstances, to present 
you with this [star in place of the red one which she 
would have awarded you. Step forward.” 

Eoger stepped forward, his face pale with pain and 
excitement, and stood looking up at his father while the 
General pinned the star on his breast. 

“ It is customary to shake the hand of a newly-deco- 


88 The AdmiraV s Tittle Housekeeper 

rated soldier, when his friends congratulate him/’ said 
the General, “ but in this case that ceremony will have 
to be omitted.” He looked down at Roger’s hands 
swathed in bandages, and laid his own hand tenderly 
on the boy’s shoulder. 

“ Kiss your mother, my lad, and then olf to bed with 
you,” he said. 

“ I’m so proud to know you, Roger,” whispered 
Kancy as she said good-night. 

“ Just what any boy would have done, that’s all,” 
said Roger as they filed up-stairs. “ Isn’t it, Mal- 
colm ? ” 

“ I think that’s about so,” said Malcolm with an un- 
commonly subdued air. 

“ About the way most boys would have done, proba- 
bly,” said Ted. 

“ You take the inside of the bed this time, kid,” said 
Malcolm ; “ and we’ll keep oJff your hands. Let’s see 
the bandages again. You’re going to be a lucky one, 
isn’t he, Ted ? ” 

“ Luckiest one of our family, that’s what I think,” 
said Ted gloomily. “ How are you and I going to earn 
our stars, that’s what I’d like to know. I forgot to say 
good-night all over again to them, just now, and father 
never reminded me.” 


Roger Wins a Star 89 

“ So did I,” said Malcolm. “ We’re the unlucky 
pair ! ” 

“ That’s what I think,” said Ted. “We might as 
well go to sleep.” 

“ But we’re glad for you, kid,” said Malcolm gener- 
ously. “ Maybe we can get father to let you go up to 
camp for a day or two this summer.” 

“ Yes, maybe we can,” said Ted. 

“ Oh, thank you,” said Koger fervently. 


CHAPTEK IX 


THE WOOD EOAD 

The good times which all the children had in the 
days that followed Christmas were different from any 
they had enjoyed before. There was coasting such as 
Malcolm, Ted and Eoger had dreamed of, but never 
seen. Jack’s old “ double runner ” took the entire party 
down hills, over fences and walls buried in snow, along 
smooth roads and across the little pond where at other 
times they skated. 

Even Mrs. Compton was persuaded to try the coast- 
ing on two or three occasions, and she returned to the 
General with rosy cheeks which her husband pinched 
and admired. The General himself would have enjoyed 
the coasting, Malcolm, Ted and Koger thought, but as 
the Admiral was debarred from all such sport, his old 
friend refused it. 

He did not refuse a walk on the morning after the 
ice-storm, however. The sleet had fallen all the night 
before, and when at last the morning came, and the 
sun broke through the clouds, it shone on trees and 
shrubs sparkling like diamonds, and on roads and hill- 
90 


The Wood Road 


91 

sides covered, over the soft white below, with a glitter- 
ing crust. 

“jNfow you wants to take de comp’ny over to de 
aidge ob de wood, fo’ de wind starts up,” said Aunt 
Sylvia to J ack when he waylaid her in the hall after 
breakfast to compliment her on her waffles, and put in 
a plea for some dainties remembered from his boy- 
hood. “’Tisn’t often we gets a ice-storm nowadays; 
weather is tame an’ common to what it used to be. 
An’ fo’ benighted folks dat lib in de city all de time, 
dis ’pears like a special opp’tunity. You get ’em 
started off jess as soon as you can, fo’ de wind’s bound 
to rise, befo’ long.” 

“ I don’t see any sign of wind rising,” objected the 
young man, for the pleasure of seeing Aunt Sylvia’s 
chin elevated, and her spectacles drawn down on her 
nose. “ Oh, I’ll mind. Aunt Sylvia,” he added hastily. 
“ I’ll start them as soon as ever I can.” 

It was really not more than haK an hour later when 
the General and Jack marshaled their party, and 
trudged off down the road. Mrs. Compton and 
Dick had stayed behind with the Admiral, who 
had promised to tell the boy an old story of the 
sea while his mother had one of her long talks 
with Aunt Sylvia. These talks were generally held in 


92 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

the kitchen while Betty was at work up-stairs, setting 
the rooms in order. She was always permitted to 
make the beds and do the dusting, but when all was 
completed she was obliged to accompany Aunt Sylvia 
on a tour through the rooms, when praise was scanty, 
and her faults and omissions were freely pointed out. 

The General walked first with Jack; then came 
[N'ancy and Marguerite, and beliind them the boys, all 
three abreast, Koger between his brothers. He was 
still a lucky hero in their eyes, but he bore his honors 
so modestly that even critical elder brothers could find 
no fault. In fact, it appeared that Eoger much pre- 
ferred to have nothing said about his midnight exploit, 
outside the family. 

“ How did you like Mrs. Potter’s running out to con- 
gratulate you, yesterday?” asked Malcolm as they 
walked along. 

“Made me feel cheap,” said Koger in a disgusted 
tone. “ Jack says Sylvanus must have let it leak out 
when she stopped him in the morning. He gave 
Sylvanus a piece of his mind, too — letting out family 
affairs like that.” 

“ ’Twould make a fellow feel cheap, I should think,” 
remarked Malcolm, to whom the idea was new and 
rather pleasing. 


The W wd Road 


93 

“Exactly the way it would make him feel,” said 
Ted, with conviction. 

They trudged along over the glistening road, then 
in through a winding wood path, up and up to the 
crest of a little hill where stood a grove of maples with 
a background of firs. The trees were far enough apart 
for the sun to filter through to the ground beneath 
them, even in the summer when the foliage was thick. 
Now it turned every great branch and tiny twig into 
a thing of wondrous beauty. The little company stood 
spellbound at the entrance to the wood. 

“ Isn’t this like fairy-land. Marguerite ? ” asked 
Nancy. “ Can’t you imagine them — the fairies — hun- 
dreds of them, hiding in the trees, all in shimmering, 
sparkling white, dressed for a fairy wedding? And 
their knights with glittering spears and lances are 
hiding too. I can see their armor gleam.” 

“ So can I,” said Marguerite, as they walked slowly 
in under the canopy of white. 

For a moment no one spoke; even the three boys 
gazed silently up at the wonderful network of inter- 
laced branches. 

“ Listen ! ” said Nancy softly. “ Don’t you hear the 
swords and spears clashing, way off ? They are having 
a fairy battle somewhere in this wood.” 


94 The Admiral's Ljittle Housekeeper 

‘‘That’s a curious sound,” said the General. “It 
certainly does give the effect of clashing steel in the 
distance.” 

“ It is the wind of which Aunt Sylvia warned me,” 
said Jack. “We must start back at once, I’m afraid. 
This enchanted wood is apt to be dangerous at a time 
like this.” 

They retraced their steps at once, though with re- 
gret. The clashing grew louder and louder, and by 
the time they had reached the outer edge of fairy-land 
again, there was another sound added — an ominous 
creaking and groaning, and there were two or three 
sounds like pistol-shots. 

“ Oh, I’m so sorry,” Nancy said, as she stopped a 
moment to gaze back at her enchanted wood ; “ it will 
never be just the same again; the most powerful 
knight — ‘ Sir Wind,’ Aunt Sylvia calls him — will des- 
troy a great many of my beautiful fairy warriors, be- 
fore the battle is over.” 

She stood with clasped hands, looking up at the 
swaying branches ; Marguerite had gone a few steps 
ahead to answer some question put by her father; 
Eoger was walking by Jack’s side for the moment. 
Malcolm and Ted waited, politely, for their hostess to 
finish her farewell to the wood. They gazed at her 


The Wood Road 


95 

with some curiosity, and their elbows touched each 
other. 

Then all at once a great blast of wind came tearing 
through the wood and straight at ]N"ancy’s head, from 
behind her back, it flung a great ice-laden branch, torn 
from a tree on the instant. 

ISTancy did not see or hear it coming, but Malcohn 
and Ted, undecorated but valiant knights of no fairy 
origin, sprang toward/ her. There was no time for 
planning this rescue party ; the first IS'ancy knew of her 
danger was that she was being thrown, face downward, 
on the snow, and that the great branch went crashing 
by, to land just beyond her, one end slightly grazing 
her shoulder as it passed. 

She was unhurt, but Malcolm and Ted were the 
proud owners of some honorable bruises. Ted’s fore- 
head and one cheek were badly scratched, and Mal- 
colm’s nose was decorated with a long cut, while his 
eye-glasses, carried off by the branch, were splintered 
beyond all repair. 

“We couldn’t save you very politely,” said Malcolm 
when he had plucked Kancy from the snow with more 
zeal than tenderness, as the rest of the party came 
hurrying back ; for the rescue had not been accom- 
plished in silence, by any means. 


96 The Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 

“ JSTo, we couldn’t stop to be very polite,” said Ted. 
“ If we had, you might have been killed.” 

“ She’d have been knocked out of her senses, anyway,” 
said Malcohn to Jack. 

“ She wouldn’t have had a sense left if that branch 
had hit where it aimed,” said Ted. 

The boys applied large white handkerchiefs to their 
wounds and beamed frankly on the company, panting 
from their recent exertions. 

Nancy, who was being brushed off by Jack and Mar- 
guerite, smiled at them demurely. 

“ The stars are all ready, waiting to be pinned on, as 
soon as we get home,” she said. 

“Oh, well — no hurry about that,” said Malcolm 
nonchalantly. 

“ No — any time will do for that,” said Ted. 

“ Marguerite,” said the General, “ I trust you have 
not set your heart on receiving any decoration, for I 
am beginning to feel that it may be difficult to live up 
to such a distinguished family of children.” 

“ You needn’t worry one bit about me, father,” said 
Marguerite. “ I shan’t ever win so much as a rubber 
button by my valor.” 

“ Then I am content,” said the General, drawing 
Marguerite’s hand through his arm. “ May I have the 


The Wood Road 


97 


pleasure of your company on the homeward march 
while Colonel Beaumont escorts his sister, and the three 
lieutenants follow in regular order ? ” 

“ You may,” said Marguerite, and she endeavored to 
match her step to her father’s stride. “ Don’t you 
think, really, we have a pretty good set of boys, 
father ? ” 

“ They’ll do,” said the General as he bore down the 
hilly road ; “ they’ll do fairly well, I think. Let’s get 
home and see what their mother will say.” 


CHAPTER X 

AUNT SYLVIA’S SECEETS 

Beside the joys of coasting, snow-shoeing, skating 
and sleighing, the young people had one whole day ii) 
the house, while a great snow-storm raged outside. 
Many things had been left especially for this day, 
which had been foretold by Aunt Sylvia, and came two 
days before the departure of the guests. 

There was the secret passage to be thoroughly ex- 
plored ; the treasures of the garret, too, were inspected 
by the boys with much interest, for there was a trunk 
filled with uniforms and war relics, and wrapped in 
silver paper was a worn and tattered old fiag. Then 
there were photographs to be taken by Marguerite ; she 
had reserved the “ portraits,” as she called them, for 
this stormy day, and she was quite severe with her 
sitters. 

“ Aunt Sylvia is my very best sitter,” she announced 
to the family in the late afternoon, after a session with 
the Admiral. “ She sits perfectly still, exactly where I 
put her. You and father playing chess will be pretty 
98 


99 


Aunt Sylvia s Secrets 

good, I think, Admiral Beaumont, except that you both 
moved a little too soon. But in your separate por- 
traits, you both sneezed 1 ” said Marguerite reproach- 
fully. 

The Admiral chuckled, but the General took his re- 
proof meekly. 

“ To put a man of my age in a direct draught, my 
dear, and place a large book in his hands, and then 
charge him to ‘ hold it just so ’ for five minutes, or a 
trifle less,” said the General, “ seems pretty harsh treat- 
ment to me.” 

“ You’re an old dear ! ” said Marguerite. “ ITow I’ll 
run up-stairs and take one of mother with Dick, and 
one without, and then I’ll be done.” 

“ Thank goodness ! ” breathed the General. “ This 
having your pictures taken is an awful tax on the 
muscles, eh. Admiral ? ” 

The Admiral stroked his lame knee and permitted 
himself a slight grimace. 

In the evening they played games and ate roasted 
chestnuts, pop-corn, and a wonderful concoction made 
by Aunt Sylvia, and called by her “ Butt’nut S’prise.” 

They were playing “ Telegrams ” when Aunt Sylvia 
brought in the big platter heaped with the candy ; try- 
ing to make telegrams which should give reasons for de- 


loo The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

clining an invitation to a house-party ; the ten words of 
the telegram included the fictitious name of the sender, 
and must begin with the letters of the word Providence 
in regular order. 

Marguerite’s eyes were roaming the library in the 
vain hope of finding some idea which would help her 
to complete her telegram. As far as she had gone, it 

read “ Peeled raw onions ; very ill ; doctor ” and 

there Marguerite’s ingenuity had failed her. 

“ You’ve just saved my life, Aunt Sylvia,” she said, 
as she took a piece of candy, smiling up at the old 
woman ; “ your cap made me think of a nurse, and — 
well, it was just what I needed to finish my telegram.” 

“ I don’t know what you’s talkin’ ’bout. Miss Mar- 
guerite,” said Aunt Sylvia tolerantly as she passed on 
with the platter, “ but soon as your writing is done, 
you take a bite out o’ dat butt’nut s’prise, and see how 
you likes it.” 

Marguerite hastily scribbled “ engaged nurse,” and 
signed her name, “ Christine Evergreen,” and then took 
a good bite of the candy. 

“ Oh, Aunt Sylvia ! ” she cried, clasping the rest of 
her piece of “ butternut surprise ” to her heart, with 
both hands, “ I never, no never, tasted anything so de- 
licious as this ! If we had some of this at my school 


Aunt Sylvia's Secrets loi 

for luncheons, they wouldn’t be able to sell us anything 
else.” 

“ I don’t see what would be the matter with boys 
having something like this,” said Malcolm, as he took 
his first bite. “ It’s the very best I ever ate,” he added 
solemnly. 

‘‘ Best I ever ate, too,” said Ted. 

“ I never ate anything else that was half as good,” 
said Eoger. 

Aunt Sylvia marched on, head stiffly erect, after set- 
ting the platter on the table near Nancy’s chair, but 
when she reached the doorway she turned and made a 
sweeping obeisance to the company. 

“ I’s proud to please you,” she said ; “ Mis’ Gen’l 
Compton, might I hab a word in yo’ ear, when you is 
at liberty ? ” 

“ Certainly, Aunt Sylvia,” said Mrs. Compton, and 
within ten minutes she slipped quietly from the room 
and out to the kitchen. 

“Aunt Sylvia,” said Nancy when she was being 
tucked in for the second time that night, “ you seem 
to have a great many things to say to Mrs. Compton. 
Aren’t you going to tell me any of them, too ? ” 

“Yes, I’s gwine tell you all ob dose secrets Mis’ 
Gen’l Compton and I’s had, some day,” said Aunt 


102 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

Sylvia in her most soothing voice. “ But befo’ dat, I’s 
gwine tell you ’bout de way I earn de money fo’ dat 
dress ob yo’s ; don’t you rec’lec’ dat, my lamb ? ” 

“ Indeed I do,” said Nancy, “ when the company’s 
gone. Aunt Sylvia, you promised.” 

“ I always ’tends to hoi’ to my promises,” said Aunt 
Sylvia, “and has done so, from a little teeny gal. 
How ole you s’pose I is, honey ? I wonders consid’able 
’bout it, sometimes. I’s ’bout de age ob de Admiral, I 
reckon, but he don’ Like no mention ob ages, so I hesi- 
tate ’bout axin’ him.” 

“ You are just the right age for a dear Aunt Sylvia 
to be,” said Nancy, pressing her soft lips to the cheek 
so near her own. “ And day after to-morrow, when 
the company is gone” — Nancy gave a little invol- 
untary sigh, “ you and I must make great plans for the 
rest of the winter.” 

“ So we shall,” said Aunt Sylvia ; “ grand plans we’ll 
make, so de winter’ll fly away fast and de spring’ll 
be right hyah befo’ we know it.” 

Outside Nancy’s door, she shook her head, and her 
old figure drooped for a moment. 

“ ’Tain’ right fo’ my lamb to be hyah all alone, jess 
an ole cullud pusson an’ a mess ob animals fo’ comp’ny, 
besides her grandfather,” said Aunt Sylvia. “ Co’se it 



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Aunt Sylvia s Secrets 103 

ain’ right, and I’s gwine get de money so she can go 
down to de city an’ study ’longside o’ Miss Marguerite. 
An’ Mis’ Gen’l Compton will look after her fine.” 

Aunt Sylvia stopped half-way up the little flight of 
stairs which led to her room, her hand on the worn 
railing. 

“ But what is dis yer place gwine to be like when 
she’s gone ? ” Aunt Sylvia asked herself in a frightened 
whisper. “ Lonesome as de chu’chyard — dat’s what ! ” 
She gave herself a fierce shake and lifted her 
head. 

‘‘ Selfish ole t’ing ! ” she scolded, under her breath. 
“ Isn’t you got enough to do to keep de Admiral half- 
way contented, an’ bring up dat ’Yanus like he ought 
to be brung, an’ keep dat Betty out o’ de ways ob 
shif ’lessness ? An’ when de winter an’ spring is slipped 
away, doesn’t de long summer come, when my lamb 
would be hyah at home again, full o’ knowledge an’ 
sweetness, jess filling dis ole house wid sunshine ? You 
put yo’ mind on dat, an’ let de troubles in ’tween take 
care ob demselves.” 

She had a good many private words with Mrs. 
Compton the next day, but IN'ancy was too busy en- 
joying the “ last whole day ” with Marguerite and the 
boys (not to mention her dear brother) to wonder at or 


104 The Admiral' s L,ittle Housekeeper 

notice these hurried consultations. At dusk when she 
and Marguerite were coming out of the Comptons’ 
“ suite,” after a frolic with little Dick who was going 
early to bed to be fresh for the morrow’s journey, they 
met Aunt Sylvia carrying a large pasteboard box. She 
made no explanation as she bore it into Mrs. Compton’s 
room, beyond a murmured “ goodies ” in Nancy’s ear. 
The little girl was delighted that the guests were to 
carry off some of Aunt Sylvia’s dainties, but thought 
no more of it. 

The next morning all was excitement, and when 
the guests had gone away on the train, and Nancy was 
waving her good-bye, with eyes which were a little 
misty in spite of all she could do, she turned to find 
Jack beside her. 

“ Oh, Jack ! why ! I said good-bye to you last of 
all,” cried Nancy. 

“ Yes,” said Jack, “ but they all knew I had planned 
to stay another day with you, for a surprise,” and her 
face well repaid him for the sacrifice of a little visit he 
had been asked to make. 

“ When a fellow has a sister like you, Nancy,” said 
Jack that evening as they sat together before the fire 
in the hall for a long talk after the'Admiral had gone 
to bed, “ he wants to see all he can of her. I suspect 


Aunt Sylvia s Secrets 105 

it will be a bit lonesome for you after the good times 
you’ve been having. What will you do with yourself 
all day long ? There’s quite a stretch between this and 
the spring term at the Potterville Academy.” 

“ Oh, I shall do a great many things,” said Nancy, 
her hands locked, and her eyes looking dreamily into 
the fire. “ Grandfather teaches me all sorts of things, 
you know ; Mrs. Potter says I’m ‘ well informed in a 
scattering way,’ Jack, and I suppose you know what 
she means.” 

Jack laughed at Nancy’s face, which was not quite 
sober in spite of all her efforts to control it. 

“ I fancy I understand exactly what she means,” he 
said. “You have arithmetic, history and geography 
according to what happens to interest grandfather in 
the newspaper and set him to talking. And you have 
literature and philosophy from the library, also ac- 
cording to what happens to be in grandfather’s mind at 
the time, and astronomy and botany by a system of 
his own, depending largely on the weather and the 
season of the year. How is that for a guess, Nancy ? ” 

“ You are a wonderful guesser,” said Nancy de- 
murely. “And grandfather really thinks my spring 
terms at school are unnecessary ; it is only because you 
and Aunt Sylvia have insisted, that he is at all con- 


io6 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

tented to have me go. Grandmother never went to 
school, you see.” 

Jack set the Beaumont jaw firmly, though not to 
trouble IN^ancy. 

“ Aunt Sylvia and I are in the right of it, ISTancy,” he 
said, “and I’ve been thinking about something ever 
since I came home this time. Another year, when I’m 
through with college, you might be in the city with 
the Comptons and go to school with Marguerite, for 
say four months, from about this time of the year, and 
see girls of your own age and the right kind. How 
would you like that, little sister ? ” 

For a moment Haney looked as if a wonderful 
vision had suddenly come close to her ; then her face 
changed, and she shook her head. 

“ I couldn’t. Jack dear,” she said. “ I’m all grand- 
father has — that is of our family — for company, and 
he’d be too lonely ; and then there’s Aunt Sylvia, and 
Jessie. And most of all. Jack, there isn’t any money.” 

“Why, grandfather told me he was getting on 
finely, now I’m looking out for my college expenses,” 
said Jack, who had the Beaumont distaste for applying 
strict mathematical calculations to family finances ; 
“ there ought to be plenty for you.” 

Haney laughed at his puzzled face. Even her grand- 


Aunt Sylvia s Secrets 107 

father’s “scattering” system of teaching arithmetic 
had not destroyed the aptitude for numbers and the 
common sense she inherited from her Frost ancestors. 

“ There isn’t, Jack dear,” she said quietly, and she 
patted his hand in the quaint little motherly way she 
sometimes took with her tall brother. “ There’s only 
just enough to keep things going on here the way they 
must, to please grandfather.” 

“ Of course the wages for Aunt Sylvia and Betty 
and Sylvanus take quite a little,” said Jack thought- 
fully knitting his handsome brows. “ But they are all 
needed. I can see that.” 

“Oh, Jack,” said JS'ancy. “Betty has very little, 
because she’s learning ; and Aunt Sylvia will only^let 
Sylvanus take half what he’s worth, because she says 
it is a privilege for him to be here with us, on the old 
place. And Aunt Sylvia herself — she has what grand- 
mother always gave her, but ” Nancy’s eyes 

brimmed over then ; she must not betray Aunt Sylvia’s 
confidence ; if the Admiral had not told Jack the real 
state of affairs, it was partly because he did not un- 
derstand himself. Nancy knew that some of the 
money paid so scrupulously every month to her old 
mammy was used to pay household expenses. 

“ I know — ^you mean she gives you things — like the 


io8 The Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 

pretty gown she helped buy,” said Jack. “ She loved 
to do it, of course, dear old Aunt Sylvia, for her 
‘ lamb ’ ; she has the true devotion to the family she 
has served so long. But that can’t have made such 
a very big hole, little sister. I’ll venture to say she 
has a good sum laid away safely — must have, you 
know, after all these years. Everything will come out 
right ; don’t you worry your little head about money. 
Look at me ; see those muscles ; feel my arm, Isancy.” 

iN’ancy felt, and exclaimed with unfeigned admira- 
tion, and after a minute the brother and sister went up 
the old stairs together, Jack’s arm around her till he 
left her at her door. 

“ Sleep well, little girl,” he said affectionately, as he 
bade her good-night ; “ and remember you have a big 
brother who means to look out for you, as long as he 
lives.” 


CHAPTER XI 


GINGEEBREAD 

Nancy smiled lovingly at the remembrance of 
Jack’s confident words, when the door of her room 
was shut. There sat Aunt Sylvia, sound asleep in the 
rocking-chair. Nancy stepped softly to the di^awer 
which held her best treasures, and taking out her 
mother’s picture, she slipped it under her pillow, and 
began to undress, so quietly, that it did not surprise 
her to have Aunt Sylvia still apparently sound asleep 
when she crept into bed. She did not suspect for one 
moment that her light step had aroused her old 
mammy, and that Aunt Sylvia’s eyes, so tightly closed 
when Nancy turned around, had seen her take the 
picture from its box. 

When she was in bed. Aunt iSylvia yawned, straight- 
ened herself, and blinked, as if greatly amazed at the 
sight of her charge sleepily smiling at her. 

“You cert’nly is the feath’riest stepping chile dat 
eber I knowed,” said Aunt Sylvia, as she tucked her in, 
and Nancy was well pleased as she snuggled down for 
her night’s sleep. 


109 


110 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

She said good-bye to Jack with a rosy, cheerful little 
face the next morning, and held her hand over some- 
thing which hung from a delicate silver chain around 
her neck, as she watched the train until it disappeared. 
It was a small silver heart with the Beaumont crest on 
its under side, and below the crest, “ J to N.” 

“ Did you think I’d give you just what I gave Mar- 
guerite, and nothing else, little sister ? ” Jack had asked 
her as he clasped the chain around her neck, and held 
her for a moment, his hands on her shoulders, while he 
gave her a gentle shake. ‘‘ After that wonderful fob 
you made for me, too ! I’m really surprised at you, 
Nancy ! ” 

She was smiling happily over his words as she rode 
back with Sylvanus, Ezra stepping briskly along over 
the snow, his bells jingling a cheerful tune. Sylvanus 
sat stiffly erect until the last of the village houses had 
been passed, touching his hat-brim with the whip — of 
which Ezra never felt a touch — whenever the sleigh 
met or passed one of Nancy’s friends, afoot or driving. 
When the last house had been left behind, Sylvanus re- 
laxed in his attitude a trifle, and turned a little in his 
seat. Then he coughed. 

« We’ve had a splendid visit from our friends, haven’t 
we, Sylvanus ? ” asked Nancy, who could never bear to 


Gingerbread 1 1 1 

disappoint him, in spite of her grandfather’s admoni- 
tions to “ keep him in his proper place.” 

“ Yes, Miss Nancy, that we cert’nly have had,” he 
answered eagerly. “ The blessings of fortuitous weather 
and health has been ours, and moreover. Miss Nancy, 
the guests were ladies and gentlemen to the extreme, 
so that it was a pleasurable opportunity to do any little 
exercises for them.” 

“ The boys told me they never expected again to 
have such a beautiful polish on their shoes as you gave 
them, till their next visit,” said Nancy. 

Sylvanus waved his whip hand with a wide sweep. 

“ They spoke of the matter to me. Miss Nancy,” he 
said in a voice which he endeavored to make sufficiently 
humble. “ But the truths of the matter are, that when 
shoes have been treated so devoid of all carefulness, as 
those shoes of the young gentlemen had been treated 
and used. Miss Nancy, to make them presume the 
proper appearance is almost beyond hopes.” 

“ It was a great pleasure to grandfather to think you 
attended to them so well,” said Nancy ; “ particularly 
as he knows you got up early in the morning to do 
them, and you don’t like to get up early, we know ; 
or have you changed ? ” 

Nancy was half laughing, but for a moment she 


112 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

imagined that Sylvanus gave her a quick, apprehensive 
glance, before he turned his attention to Ezra. 

“ I thank you. Miss ITancy,” he said gravely. “ There 
are some difficulties about my awaking in the early 
morning, but I hope never to have them prove inter- 
ferences with my duty to the Admiral.” 

“ ISTo indeed,” said ISTancy warmly. “ You are al- 
ways on hand when grandfather is ready to get up, I 
know. You are a great comfort to him, Sylvanus.” 

“ Thank you. Miss Nancy,” he replied again, but for 
the remainder of the drive he looked straight ahead, 
although he answered Nancy’s questions with due 
respect. 

“ Sylvanus seems more grown up than he ever did 
before. Aunt Sylvia,” said Nancy that afternoon, as she 
sat in the sewing-room with her old mammy ; and then 
she repeated her conversation about the shoes. “ I was 
afraid afterward perhaps I’d hurt his feelings by refer- 
ring to his being a little lazy in the mornings,” said 
Nancy ; “perhaps he has outgrown it, aU at once.” 

Her eyes were bent on her work, a delicate old hand- 
kerchief which she was darning with the finest thread, 
and she therefore failed to see the look Aunt Sylvia 
gave her — a look which bore a distinct resemblance to 
the one she had caught on the face of Sylvanus, on the 


Gingerbread 113 

homeward drive that morning. But when Aunt Sylvia 
spoke, her voice was as calm as usual. 

“Don’t you worry ’bout dat, my lamb,” she said; 
“ sometimes I find dat boy feeling kind o’ biggety, dese 
days, but den I takes him in hand, prompt, and he gets 
right whai* he b’longs, in no time ’t all. I’ll ’tend to 
him. High time he growed up, if eber he’s gwine 
grow up ; I reckon dat boy mus’ be most in de thirties, 
or somewhar nigh, dese days.” 

“ Do you ever think perhaps he ought to go to some 
one else. Aunt Sylvia ? ” asked Nancy wistfully. “ Mr. 
Hobbs says he ‘ has a great knack ’ with horses, and 
he could probably earn a good deal of money every 
week if he went to live with rich people.” 

“ Huh ! What would dat boy do wid mo’ money ? ” 
inquired Aunt Sylvia scornfully. “ I has to gib it out 
to him by ten centses, now, fo’ to keep him from get- 
ting me an’ hisself in de porehouse. He ain’ got any 
uses fo’ money, my lamb. An’ de Admiral wouldn’t 
find any boy dat could be scolded an’ dis’plined so free 
as ’Yanus; de Admiral would miss him, true as dis 
worl’ ; an’ ’Yanus is proud to be hyah.” 

“ Ah, Aunt Sylvia, I don’t know what I should do 
without you,” said Nancy, as she folded the little 
handkerchief, so beautifully mended, and then clasped 


114 The AdmiraTs L,ittle Housekeeper 


her hands over her silver heart swinging it gently back 
and forth. “ Wouldn’t this be a good time to tell me 
how you earned the money to help pay for that lovely 
dress you and Mrs. Compton gave me ? Please, Aunt 
Sylvia.” 

“Good time as any, I ’spects,” admitted the old 
woman. “ Getting kind o’ twilighty fo’ eyes de age 
ob mine. S’posing we turn our chairs roun’ so’s we’ll 
be facing out to’ds de sky, an’ see all its pretty looks 
while de light’s fading — so — dat’s right. Now I’ll tell 
you jess how ’twas, honey.” 

Aunt Sylvia leaned back in her low rocking-chair, 
and closed her eyes ; then she opened them, and reach- 
ing out for one of Nancy’s hands, she took it between 
both of hers and held it as she talked. 

“ You see I knowed my lamb got to hab dat dress 
some way,” said Aunt Sylvia, “ an’ de money wasn’t on 
ban’ to get it. Provisions is mighty high, dese days, 
an’ do de best we can, we’s all got to eat, to keep up 
our stren’th ; an’ so de money goes, little teeny bit hyah 
— ^little teeny bit thar — an’ ’tis aU gone ! But I kep’ 
studying ’bout it, an’ studying ’bout it, an’ I said to my- 
self, if dere’s any way I could get some extra, why dere 
’twould be extra. 

“ And while I was studying ’bout it, one day when I 


Gingerbread 115 

was in Potterville, ’long wid ’Vanns, I met up wid dat 
Mr. Lord, an’ he cert’nly is a mighty well-’tentioned 
man, dat Mr. Lord, an’ I like de way he laughs when 
dere’s a joke, an’ de way he keeps his mouf tight shut 
when dere’s no ’casion to open it an’ let out all he 
knows. Don’ you like dat man, honey ? ” 

“ Oh, I like him very much,” said JSTancy. “ He was 
so good to us that time we traveled. Aunt Sylvia, 
wasn’t he ? ” 

“He cert’nly behaved mighty p’lite,” said Aunt 
Sylvia, “ and he always takes his hat off his haid to bow 
to me, and he axes mos’ partic’lar fo’ Miss Haney. Dis 
day I’m speaking ob, he was gwine back to de station, 
after his dinner, and he spied me out, and came up an’ 
helped me into de sleigh, jess as fine-mannered as any- 
body could. An’ he said to me, ‘ Mis’ Sylvia, I don’ 
s’pose you could be wanting to earn some extra money 
fo’ Christmas presents, or anyt’ing o’ dat kind, is you ? ’ 
“Well, I notched him up quick, honey, an’ I said, 
‘Dat’s jess prezackly what I is wanting. Does you 
know any way dat I could do it ? ’ 

“ ‘ I do, suah. Mis’ Sylvia,’ he said, ‘ an it’s an easy 
way, too,’ he said. 

“ ‘ I got a cousin — a fine, mind-her-own-business 
woman, dat’s started a rest ’rant down at de Junction,’ 


ii6 T/ie Admiral's Little Housekeeper 


he said, ‘an’ she axed me if I knew anybody dat 
could make good gingerbread, for a kind ob specialty, 
jess to start her trade at de fust, an’ I told her I knew 
somebody dat made it de bes’ in de country, an’ she 
said she’d pay a good price, ebery sheet an’ round cake 
dat pusson would make an’ send to her.’ 

“When we said good-bye dat aft’noon, de whole 
’rangement was made,” said Aunt Sylvia proudly. 
“ Mr. Lord, he mentioned de prices, an’ dey was mos’ 
satisfact’ry ; we ’ranged dat ’Yanus would carry de 
gingerbread down when he took de letters, an’ went 
after de mail, an’ I made it mo’nings while dat Betty 
was tending to de up-stairs rooms, an’ you an’ de Ad- 
miral read books an’ lessons.” 

“ Oh, Aunt Sylvia, how clever you were ! ” said 
Nancy, and there was a thrill of gratification in the old 
voice as it answered her. 

“I’s always been a pow’ful planner when ’casions 
rise,” said Aunt Sylvia. “ Three weeks I done jess like 
I tol’ you, an’ dat rest’rant cousin ob Mr. Lord’s pay 
me jess like she promise. I counted out de prices ob 
all de cups o’ m’lasses, an’ pieces o’ butter, an’ spoon- 
fuls o’ ginger, an’ everyt’ing what I used in making 
dose gingerbreads, and after all, how much money you 
s’pose I make, my lamb ? ” 


Gingerbread 117 

“ Oh, could you have made ten dollars, Aunt 
Sylvia ? ” asked Nancy. 

“I made out o’ dose gingerbreads, from de whole 
transactions, eighteen dollars an’ twenty-eight cents,” 
announced Aunt Sylvia; then she leaned back and 
closed her eyes. “My stars! ’peared like I nebber 
wanted to see a mite o’ ginger or de handle ob dat 
m’lasses jug again, when dose three weeks was gone ! ” 
she breathed. 

“ You dear Aunt Sylvia ! ” said Nancy softly. “ Oh, 
how good you were to do it I and I know just how you 
felt toward the molasses jug — the way I used to feel 
toward my sampler, when I was little; you remem- 
ber?” 

“ I ’member,” said Aunt Sylvia, “ an’ I reckon ’twas 
’bout de same.” 

They rocked in silence for a few moments, while the 
room grew darker and the last flecks of color faded 
from the sky. 

“ Aunt Sylvia,” said Nancy at last, “ it’s my turn 
now to earn some money, if I only could without 
troubling grandfather. Marguerite says I might seU 
some of my embroideries at a place she knows in the 
city, a ‘ Woman’s Exchange,’ she called it. But I sup- 
pose grandfather^ would not approve of a Beaumont 


ii8 The AdmiraV s Little Housekeeper 


doing that, when she’s a girl,” and I^ancy gave a little 
sigh. “Wouldn’t it have been better, almost, if I’d 
been a boy. Aunt Sylvia ? ” 

Aunt Sylvia patted her hand rapidly, and her voice 
was indignant. 

“ Boys enough in dis worl’, ’thout my lamb,” she 
said. “ I reckon dere’d a-been a great mistake made if 
you’d been anyt’ing but jess yo’ ole Aunt Sy Ivy’s lamb. 
An’ de Admiral, he’s real pleased to hab you de prezack 
way you is ; but de Beaumont ladies must fold dere 
hands, and let de Beaumont gen’lemen earn all de 
money, ’cording to de Admiral’s ideas. Still — ’co’se, 
my lamb, if de Admiral didn’t know ’bout it, ’twouldn’t 
’sturb him — and ’tisn’t anyt’ing wrong. You write 
Mis’ Gen’l Compton and ax her. But don’ you worry 
yo’ little haid ’bout money, ’cause it’ll come, some 
way.” 

“ But you won’t make any more gingerbread. Aunt 
Sylvia ; promise me,” begged Nancy ; “ you got so tired 
over it, all for me ! ” 

“ I won’t make one mo’ loaf nor round cake, nor 
nuffin’, o’ gingerbread,” Aunt Sylvia promised. “ Isn’t 
I told you I’s glad ’tis all done ? De rest’rant cousin 
she is doing firs’ rate, now, an’ she’s found somebody 
dat makes good gingerbread, ’cepting Mr. Lord did 


Gingerbread 119 

say ’twasn’t good as mine. What I got to turn my 
’tention to now is ’Yanus ; he got kind ob out o’ my 
hand, when he was gwine down to de station ebery 
day, seeing all dat bustle an’ gay doings ; I mistrus’ he 
needs looking to ; ” Aunt Sylvia creaked the rocker 
peacefully. “ I mistrus’ he needs looking to, an’ a 
teeny bit mo’ work,” she added. “ I’ll go see whar he 
is at, dis minute.” 


CHAPTEE XII 


AN OLD LACE SCAEF 

When Nancy thought over her talk with Aunt 
Sylvia the next day, she did not feel quite satisfied. 

“ I’m afraid Aunt Sylvia is so anxious to have me 
visit the Comptons that she’U try to earn more money 
for pretty clothes,” she said to herself that morning as 
she stood in her room, looking wistfuUy at the old 
tapestry which hid the sliding panel, and wishing Mar- 
guerite were in the next room. “ I am sure that must 
have been one of the secrets she had with Mrs. Comp- 
ton ; she probably told her just what I ought to have to 
‘ go-a-visiting proper ’ — she’s told me so many times.” 

“ A white ebening dress, and a blue ebening dress,” 
she chanted, as Aunt Sylvia had chanted to her many 
a time, rocking back and forth, with her eyes raised to 
the ceiling as if she hoped the dresses might drop down 
at her call ; “ a silk comp’ny dress, and a cloth dress 
fo’ to gwine in de shops along wid Mis’ Gen’l Comp- 
ton an’ Miss Marguerite, an’ two house dresses fo’ to 
wear in de mo’nings.” 

“ I have the ‘ blue ebening dress,’ ” said Nancy, as 
X20 


121 


An Old Lace Scarf 

she opened her closet door, and looked at the great 
white bag in which Aunt Sylvia had shrouded the 
pretty gown ; “ but the others are still in the beautiful 
shops Aunt Sylvia tells me about. There’s my only 
other evening dress, made from one of my mother’s 
muslins.” I^ancy laid her hand lovingly on the soft, 
limp folds. “ You’re so old,” she whispered, “ and I’ve 
worn you so much, and you’ve been mended so often ! 
Aunt Sylvia and I are almost afraid you will not last 
very much longer, but I can’t spare you yet. There is 
my silk comp’ny dress, grandmother’s plaid — and 
grandfather thinks there was never anything else so 
beautiful.” 

IN'ancy looked at the old plaid silk with respect, but 
she had no love for it. When she wore it she always 
felt that a great deal was expected of her. 

“ It’s of no use to look for anything to match the 
cloth dress,” and hTancy shook her old riding skirt till 
it danced on its hook. “ You poor old thing, you do 
the best you can,” she said, “ but if it weren’t that 
everybody looks at Jessie’s satin coat instead of at you, 
I’m afraid there would be some very uncomplimentary 
things said about you ; Mrs. Potter knows you, so you’d 
better hold together as weU as you can when I ride in 
to town this afternoon to see her, 


122 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 


“You are my house dresses,” and she pointed her 
finger at three little cashmere skirts, and two worn 
ginghams, hanging in a row. “You’re too short for 
anybody as old as I am, and oh, how you pinch me ! 
But Aunt Sylvia has let you down, and let you out till 
there’s nothing more to let. 'Now mind you don’t fall 
to pieces while I need you. 

“Nobody could go a-visiting with such clothes, of 
course,” said Nancy, and she shut the closet door with 
a sharp click, as if the -matter were settled once for all. 
“ But they are all right to wear here, where every one 
knows me, and nobody minds what I have on ; even 
Jack,” and Nancy smiled at the thought, “ even Jack 
didn’t notice how different my dresses are from Mar- 
guerite’s, he’s so used to seeing me in them.” 

Before she started on her ride in town that afternoon, 
she seated herself in Aunt Sylvia’s lap, and taking the 
sewing out of her hands, and the spectacles from her 
head, Nancy looked her old mammy straight in the 
eyes. 

“ Now, Aunt Sylvia, I want to ask you one more ques- 
tion, and please answer it,” said Nancy. “You told 
me you shouldn’t make any more gingerbread for Mr. 
Lord’s cousin, but you didn’t promise not to make other 
things for her. Will you do it now ? ” 


An Old Lace Scarf 123 

A look of relief and satisfaction overspread the 
wrinkled face. 

“ ’Co’se I will, my lamb,” she said promptly. ‘‘ I 
promises you I won’t make dat rest’rant cousin nuffin’ 
’t all, no matter what ! !Now is you contented, honey ? ” 

“ Yes, I am,” said Nancy, “because I’d rather never 
go to the city than to have you get tired out for me ; 
here’s your work, and here are your spectacles, and I 
can go in town now without thinking maybe you’ll be 
making loaves and loaves of sponge-cake while I’m 
gone.” 

“I shall sit right hyah in dis chair till you come 
back,” said Aunt Sylvia ; ’less I’s ’bleeged to go wake 
dat Betty up to get de tea made in time. Good-bye, 
honey.” 

“M-m,” she said when Nancy had gone ; “ I’s gwine 
close my eyes, too ; dey’s been open consid’able long, 
’pears to me, an’ dey needs a rest, same as my pore ole 
back. M-m. ’Twas mighty lucky, de way she axed 
dat question ob hers.” 

It was a delightful winter day, with crisp air, but 
scarcely a hint of wind, save the breeze which Nancy 
and Jessie felt as they flew along the road, the breeze 
of their own haste and joy in motion. 

“ Oh, Jessie, it is such a good day for us, isn’t it ? ” 


124 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 


said ISTancy, when the pretty mare had received her 
lump of sugar and her ears and forehead had been 
patted and rubbed. Nancy sprang lightly to the saddle, 
and off they flew again, past tall evergreens, and leaf- 
less birches, and little sparkling roadside things, along 
the ridge, down the hill, through the valley, and into 
Potterville, trotting up to Mrs. Potter’s gate in fine 
style. 

“ Well there, I said to Mr. Potter this noon when we 
were eating dinner, that nothing would surprise me less 
than to see you this afternoon,” called Mrs. Potter from 
the doorway. “ I’ve got a little cold, and I believe I 
won’t come out. Hadn’t you better put Jessie in the 
barn; the air’s real searching, to my mind, though 
good and seasonable.” 

Nancy followed her suggestion, and when Jessie had 
been comfortably established in the bam, she went into 
the house, where a warm welcome was given her, and 
in a few moments she was seated in one window of 
Mrs. Potter’s living-room, while that brisk, kind-hearted 
woman was ensconced in the other window, which, it 
must be admitted, commanded a much more extended 
view. However, Nancy had not come to look out of 
the window, but to have a good visit and chat with her 
hostess, so she was not in the least troubled. 


12S 


An Old Lace Scarf 

She told all the doings of the last few days at Beau- 
mont Corners which she was willing to have spread 
through the town, and some other things which, as 
Mrs. Potter remarked, were “ just between their two 
selves.” Nancy had learned that much as Mrs. Potter 
liked to hear and tell news, she would keep anything 
entrusted to her confidence most loyally. 

When Nancy’s recital was finished and Mrs. Potter 
had emptied her budget of news, there was a short 
silence. Mrs. Potter looked thoughtfully at her guest, 
opened her mouth as if to speak — shut it tight, and 
then opened it again. * 

“Please, what is it, Mrs. Potter?” asked Nancy. 
“ You look very mysterious.” 

“ I’ve had nine minds about telling you,” said Mrs. 
Potter ; “ but now I’m going to — and I don’t believe 
you’ll object to hearing it, however you decide. You 
know the wife of the mill superintendent by sight, the 
one he’s married lately, that has such a lot of money, 
and fashionable relatives? You’ve seen her? Well, 
day before yesterday, she dropped in here, real friendly. 
I was surprised ! ” 

“Why shouldn’t she come?” asked Nancy inno- 
cently. 

“ Some wouldn’t,” was Mrs. Potter’s evasive reply, 


126 TAe Admiral's Little Housekeeper 

“ but she did. And I showed all I had to show, and 
among other things that lace shawl that descended 
from my great aunt — the one you mended for me.” 

“ Oh,” said Nancy, “ didn’t she think it was a beauti- 
ful shawl? Money couldn’t buy a shawl like that. 
Aunt Sylvia thinks.” 

“I presume she’s right,” said Mrs. Potter, smooth- 
ing her skirt, “ but what took Mrs. Carter’s eye the most 
was your mending. 

‘“Who did that beautiful piece of work for you, 
Mrs. Potter?’ she asked me. She speaks right up 
about things, like a person who’s always been used to 
having others at her beck and call, but she has the 
kind of a way with her that keeps you from taking 
offense as you would with some folks. Puts her head 
on one side, and looks at you something like a bird, and 
you just tell her whatever she wants to know. 

“ ‘ Little Miss Nancy Beaumont, Admiral Beaumont’s 
granddaughter, did it for me,’ I told her. I spoke with 
considerable dignity, too. ‘ She’s a friend of mine,’ I 
told Mrs. Carter, ‘ though I’m more than old enough to 
be her mother, and our bringing up has been different. 
Miss Nancy has been raised according to the traditions 
of her grandfather’s female ancestors and wife, of what 
a lady should be,’ I told her, ‘and I was brought 


An Old Lace Scarf 127 

up to earn a penny and turn it into two, wherever I 
could.’ ” 

“ But that is just what I should like to do,” Nancy 
said quickly, as she looked at Mrs. Potter’s uplifted 
chin and lofty expression. 

“I spoke impressive, just as I’ve repeated it,” said 
Mrs. Potter, allowing her chin to resume its usual posi- 
tion, “ but she only laughed and said, ‘ Oh, if I could 
only get hold of that child, I’d persuade her to do 
some mending for me, on a wonderful old scarf I have. 
I’d pay twenty-five dollars in a minute,’ she said, ‘ to 
have it mended like that shawl of yours. I’ve never 
been able to find any one to do it. Is her grandfather 
rich ? ’ 

“ I told her Admiral Beaumont had never taken me 
into his confidence, and I gave her no satisfaction,” said 
Mrs. Potter, “but I’ve been thinking, since then. 
Nancy, here’s her sleigh this minute ! Suppose she 
should be coming here! She is — ^well — ^maybe she 
won’t come in.” 

Nancy sat with hot cheeks in the window while 
Mrs. Potter bustled to the door. 

“ I’m coming in to see you a little while, Mrs. Potter,” 
said a clear, ringing voice, and over the threshold came 
a swish of silk skirts under a beautiful fur coat. 


128 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

Mrs. Potter escorted her guest to the living-room 
where Nancy stood, looking like the little lady she was, 
Waiting to be introduced ; but there was no time for in- 
troductions. 

“ You must be Nancy Beaumont, I’m sure,” said Mrs. 
Carter, and she swept across the room, holding out her 
hand to the little girl, her brilliant face under the 
great black hat with its long plumes looking like some 
wonderful flower to Nancy’s eager imagination. 

“ Yes, I am Nancy Beaumont,” she said breathlessly, 
“ but how did you know ? ” 

The lady threw an amused glance over her shoulder 
at Mrs. Potter. “ Oh, I — why I’ve seen all the town 
children,” she said, “ and you look rather different, so I 
guessed you must be the Little girl who lives out at 
Beaumont Corners.” 

“ It is my dress,” thought Nancy ; “ all the Potter- 
ville little girls have tight sleeves this year. Aunt Sylvia 
says, because it’s the fashion ; but I can’t help that.” 

“ I suppose I do look quite different,” she said aloud, 
“ because Aunt Sylvia and I did not understand about 
the new sleeves. Some time I shall have tight ones, 
unless they go out of fashion too soon.” 

Mrs. Carter put her head on one side, in the bird- 
like way Mrs. Potter had mentioned. 


129 


An Old Lace Scarf 

“ It wasn’t entirely the sleeves,” she said, and then 
she laughed, so gayly that Kancy laughed with her, 
though she did not quite know the reason. 

“ Mrs. Potter has frightened me, telhng me how you’ve 
been brought up,” she said, when they were all seated, 
and Mrs. Potter had passed a dish of candied orange- 
peel with the remark that it was “ dry stuff, but some 
folks liked it.” “ You can’t think how envious 1 am 
of that shawl of Mrs. Potter’s ! and there’s my 
wonderful old scarf, just crying to be mended ! I have 
it here, under my cloak ; I brought it to see if 1 couldn’t 
soften Mrs. Potter’s heart enough so that she would ask 
you to look at it. See ! ” 

From a rose-colored silk, she unwrapped the fihny 
scarf ; a tracery of ivy leaves was over it all, and it was 
perfect save for one place in the plain mesh of the lace ; 
there a great rent had been torn, by a nail, Mrs. Carter 
sorrowfully explained. 

“ And you see I can’t wear it,” she said, “ for it is in 
just the place where it cannot be hidden. Isn’t it sad ? ’’ 

She looked up at JSTancy, her bright eyes dancing 
under the broad hat brim. Then she held the scarf to- 
ward the little girl with both hands. 

“ Take it,” she said under her breath ; “won’t you, 
please, and make it whole ? I couldn’t find any one to 


130 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

do it in the city. And how can there be a child, no mat- 
ter how her ancestors were brought up, who wouldn’t 
like twenty-five dollars to spend for anything she 
wanted? Let me go out to Beaumont Corners, and 
ask your grandfather! I have a grandfather of my 
own.” 

Then she buried her face in her hands, laughing. 

“ I can twist him around my little finger, the old 1 
dear ! ” she said, lifting her rosy face to Mrs. Potter’s 
gaze and nodding saucily at her. “Perhaps he’s noti 
just like Admiral Beaumont.” 

“I don’t think any one — even grandmother — ever, 
twisted grandfather around her little finger,” laughed 
Nancy. 

She held the scarf, and looked at it carefully ; then 
she folded it. 

“May I have the silk to put it in?” she asked. 
“ And I will mend it, Mrs. Carter, and when it is done, 
I will tell grandfather about it, and ask him if I may 
have the money. He will be glad to have me do it for 
you, for friendship,” said Nancy in her quaint little 
way, “but — but I should be very glad to have the 
money if he thinks I may — if it is worth what you 
say.” 

“Indeed it is, you dear little thing,” said Mrs. 


An Old Lace Scarf 131 

Carter. “ And now I’m off. You shall have your 
visit here, and I’U come some other day. Ho,” to Mrs. 
Potter’s protest in which Haney joined ; “ no, I have 
other errands. And you’ll come to see me some time, 
won’t you?” she asked the little girl as she shook 
hands. “ And then I’ll return the caU on you — and 
the Admiral.” 

She bobbed her head with a mischievous smile at 
Haney, and swept out of the room, accompanied by 
her hostess, still protesting. 

“ Think of that darling’s imagining it was her sleeves 
that made her different from the other children,” 
whispered Mrs. Carter, her lips close to Mrs. Potter’s 
ear, her fingers pinching that good woman’s arm, as 
she reached the outer door. “ I can scarcely wait to 
get home to tell my husband that! Good-bye. I’ll 
come again soon.” 

“ Well, there,” said Mrs. Potter, as she seated herself 
again in the best window. “Wasn’t that surprising ? 
Where were we, Haney, in conversation, when she 
came ? I’m so mixed up, I don’t know but we’U have 
to begin our visit all over again. There’s one thing I 
want to ask you — sounds ridiculous, but still — Haney, 
did you ride along here between five and half-past this 
morning, and back again a few minutes after ? Of 


132 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

course I know you didn’t, in the pitch dark — unless the 
Admiral needed the doctor.” 

Nancy shook her head most decidedly. 

“ I was sound asleep in my bed,” she said. “ Did you 
think you heard somebody ? ” 

“ I did hear them,” asserted Mrs. Potter. “ I heard 
a horse’s hoofs, and they sounded exactly like your 
Jessie’s.” 

“There must be some one else who rides, then,” 
said Nancy. “ I wonder who it can be — and so early 
in the morning.” 

“ I wonder, too,” said Mrs. Potter, and turned the 
talk to other things. “ For you can’t deceive my 
ears,” she told her husband that night. “It was 
Jessie’s hoofs I heard — and if Nancy wasn’t on her 
back, all I can say is, somebody else was — and for my 
part I believe it was that Sylvanus, stealing off some- 
where while the rest of the family were sound asleep. 
I hope he won’t run off and leave them some day. 
He’s too high-flown for his work, I’ve always said. 
Such words as he uses, too ! ” 

“He’s devoted to the family, I think,” said Mr. 
Potter mildly, but his wife had small regard for his 
opinions on such matters. 

“ I shall watch out,” she said firmly, “ and if I see 


»33 


An Old Lace Scarf 

occasion I shall step out some morning and inquire 
what’s being done under cover of the dark. You eat 
your supper, and leave the matter to me ; I’ll attend to 
it,” and Mrs. Potter wore the look of one fully capable 
of battling with any and all difficulties and putting 
them to rout once for all. 


CHAPTEE XIII 


EAELY MORNING ECHOES 

On her way home — racing with the wind which had 
come up from behind the hills, and tossed Xancy’s 
curls, and Jessie’s mane, but could never quite get past 
the little rider on her fleet-footed mare — Xancy thought 
of all she had heard and seen during the afternoon. 

The scarf in its silken covering was in the bag which 
Xancy wore by a strap over her shoulder, and which 
pounded against her side as she rode. 

“ You didn’t see the beautiful lady, Jessie,” she said 
to the mare, as they sped along, “ but some day you 
will. I wonder if she rides. Why, she might be the 
person whose horse’s hoofs Mrs. Potter heard ! She 
looks as if she would not mind riding in the dark any 
more than the daylight ; she’d think it was fun. She 
must be brave, like the Beaumonts, Jessie — not a bit 
like me.” 

Jessie gave a soft whinny, as if she wished to let her 
little mistress know that whether brave or not, she was 
perfectly satisfactory from Jessie’s point of view. 

134 


Early Morning Echoes 135 

While the Admiral and IN'ancy took their tea to- 
gether, she told him of her visit, and spoke of Mrs. 
Carter. 

“ She is beautiful, grandfather,” said Nancy ; “ not 
sweet and gentle like Mrs. Compton, but splendid, like 
a great golden rose. And she wore a big black hat 
with long drooping plumes — like the one your great- 
grandmother has on, in the portrait.” 

“ It was said that my great-grandmother was tall, 
with a swan-like neck and a remarkably graceful car- 
riage,” said the Admiral. “She must have been a 
great beauty, from her portraits. I believe half the 
young men in the county proposed for her hand. This 
young woman, Nancy — is she a lady, in your opinion ? ” 

“ Oh, yes, grandfather,” said Nancy. “ I know you 
would say she is a lady, but she is ” — ^the little girl 
spread her arms wide — “she is — oh, I can’t describe 
her, grandfather, but she makes you feel as if the place 
you were in had grown smaller, all at once, and as if — 
as if when she wished you to do anything, you’d have 
to — because you’d want to please her.” 

“ An interesting person, I should say,” the Admiral 
remarked, as he stirred his cup of tea. “ Her people 
are of good stock. I learned through Bartley Pear- 
son’s rambling talk on Christmas that her grandfather 


136 The AdmiraT s Tittle Housekeeper 

is a man I once knew fairly well — in my long- vanished 
youth.” 

“ Don’t say that, grandfather,” and Nancy held up 
a warning finger ; “ you know you promised me you 
wouldn’t. Perhaps if I go to call on Mrs. Carter, and 
she comes to see us, you would talk to her about those 
days — not long- vanished, to please her — and me.” 

“ Very well, my dear,” said the Admiral with a 
chuckle, “ we’ll think of them as only day before yes- 
terday if you say so. Go to call as soon as you like, 
and invite Mrs. Carter out here for a cup of tea with 
us some afternoon. I’m told her husband stays pretty 
closely at home when his work is done. Business is 
allowed to prevent the carrpng on of social duties in 
these days,” and he looked quite severely at Nancy, as 
if she were partly responsible for the state of affairs. 

“ I think I will go some afternoon soon,” Nancy said 
to herself that night, as she unfolded the scarf, and 
looked at it by the light of her candle. Even in the 
dim room its beauty showed. “I will work on it 
every morning when grandfather has finished with my 
studies, while Aunt Sylvia is looking after Betty. I 
think I won’t tell any one — even Aunt Sylvia — about 
it, for a few days.” 

Something — some unusual sound outdoors, she 



SHE EXAMINED TJ^E SCARF 





»37 


Early Morning Echoes 

thought — waked her the next morning long before 
daylight. She listened intently, but there was no 
repetition of the sound, whatever it might have been, 
and she soon fell asleep again. By daylight she ex- 
amined the scarf again, and selected from her basket of 
fine threads one which looked fit for a spider’s web. 

“ That will do,” she said, as she tried it against the 
mesh of the scarf ; and when her free time came she 
sat in the low chair by her window, her curls falling 
against her soft cheeks as she bent over the work, mak- 
ing the fine stitches which were partly the result of 
training and partly a gift of her inheritance from a 
long line of ancestors whose skill with the needle was 
their greatest pride. 

‘‘ When it is done,” Nancy whispered, as she held it 
off when her morning’s freedom was over, “no one 
will ever know where it was torn. She will put her 
head on one side and smile at me when she sees it. I 
know she will.” 

It was two days later that Nancy waked again in 
the early morning, with the feeling that something un- 
usual was going on out-of-doors ; but although she 
sprang to the window, and clasping her face in her 
palms, peered out into the darkness, she could see 
nothing. 


138 The AdmiraTs Little Housekeeper 


“ But I do hear a sound of hoofs,” she thought, “ as 
if they were just down at the end of the bridle-path. 
I wish I could see.” 

“ Aunt Sylvia,” she said when her old mammy came 
into the room to say good-morning and see if Nancy 
were in the pink of tidiness demanded by the Admiral, 
“ Aunt Sylvia, have you been waked up early by the 
sound of hoofs any of these mornings ? ” 

Aunt Sylvia shook her head violently. 

“ Waked up by de sound o’ hoofs, honey,” she re- 
peated, her forehead wrinkled with surprise, as if she 
had never heard of such an amazing idea before. “ You 
mean to say you t’ink yo’ ole mammy stays in her bed 
till ’Yanus takes de bosses out de barn to gib ’em dere 
frisky turn roun’ de yard? I’s always down in de 
kitchen long befo’ dat,” said Aunt Sylvia reproachfully. 

“ Oh, no, I didn’t mean that,” said Nancy hastily. 
“ I mean before it is light. Aunt Sylvia, and the sound 
comes from the road, down where the bridle-path turns 
in, where there’s that queer little echo against the big 
ledge across the road. You remember ? ” 

“ I ’members dat place, ob co’se,” said Aunt Sylvia ; 
“ all dese long yeahs, I’s known dat place. When did 
de sound come, my lamb ? ” 

“ The first time I’ve really heard it, to know what it 


Early Morning Echoes 139 

was,” said Nancy, was this morning ; but day before 
yesterday something waked me up — some sound — and 
I couldn’t tell what it was.” 

“ Dat echo from down whar de bridle-path turns into 
de road wouldn’t hab waked you out ob a sound sleep,” 
said Aunt Sylvia. “Must hab been you’s dreamin’ 
some noises, an’ dey was so real dey waked you up.” 

Nancy was not convinced. 

“ I wonder if whoever was riding could have been 
up near the house,” she said thoughtfully. “Mrs. 
Potter told me, the other day, that some one on horse- 
back had been past their house early in the morning, 
before daylight. She asked if I’d been in town for the 
doctor, though she didn’t really think I had. She 
thought the hoofs sounded like Jessie’s. I wonder who 
the other rider is, and why he takes such a queer time 
to ride.” 

Aunt Sylvia was never fond of Mrs. Potter, and now 
her tone was full of exasperation. 

“ I wish dat woman would ’tend to her pore hus- 
band — bresh his co’ts an’ trousies mo’ thorough, an’ 
keep him mended up at de seams,” she said. “I 
nebber see a lady befo’ dat had so much time to be 
lookin’ out ob windys, an’ openin’ do’s so nobody can 
get pas’, an’ runnin’ roun’ de neighborhood like dat 


140 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

Mis’ Potter does. If dar is somebody dat’s got a 
boss-back boss, an’ wants to ride bim ’tbout ber 
advices an’ remarks, be prob’ly bas to get up in de 
dark to do it. Fo’ my part,” said Aunt Sylvia, “ my 
symp’tbies goes out to dat rider, wboeber be is. An’ 
if be do come out pas’ Beaumont Co’ners, ’tis prob’ly 
because be knows it is a place wbar de folkses isn’t up 
in de middle ob de nigbt peekin’ an’ pryin’ fo’ fear 
somebody mougbt get by an’ dey not see bim.” 

“Wby, Aunt Sylvia,” laughed Nancy, “don’t you 
tbink you are a little bit cross about poor Mrs. Potter ? 
If something wakes us up, we can’t help it, can we ? ” 

“Some folks is mighty ready to be waked up,” 
grumbled Aunt Sylvia. “ Don’ you get in dose habits, 
my lamb.” 

“I promise not to,” and Nancy’s rosy face was as 
solemn as she could make it, so solemn that Aunt 
Sylvia’s displeasure gave way, and she laughed out- 
rigbt. 

“ You look tired,” said Nancy in ber most coaxing 
tone ; “ won’t you rest a little while this morning. 
Aunt Sylvia, and let Betty attend to all the work up- 
stairs ? She can do it perfectly well.” 

Aunt Sylvia straightened ber old shoulders, and held 
her bead very stiffly as she turned to leave the room. 


Early Morning Echoes 141 

“ ’Long as I’s spared to hab my healths, I shall look 
after dat Betty’s co’ners an’ woodworks,” she an- 
nounced, “ an’ plump up de pillows, which she cyant 
do, in de ways dey should be plumped. Breakfas’ is 
mos’ ready, my lamb, an’ de Admiral’s stick is making 
a pow’ful loud soun’ in de hall.” 

“ What’s the reason your son gets me up half an 
hour before my regular time ? ” the Admiral demanded 
as Aunt Sylvia was trying to slip unnoticed through 
the hall. “ He always used to be late.” 

“ ’Pears like dat boy’s met up wid a change,” said 
Aunt Sylvia in her mildest tone. “ He would’ve waked 
you more’n half an hour earlier dan he did. Admiral, if 
I hadn’t cotched him jess in time. Seems ’s if he was 
beginning to act somet’ing like his pore father did — 
kind o’ res’less ; I don’ know but I’ll fetch him in to 
see de doctor one ob dese days, and hab him looked 
ober. You jess bear wid him all you kin. Admiral, an’ 
I’ll keep at him aU I kin, an’ he’ll come out all de 
better fo’ dis troublous time.” 

“ What in the world are you running on about ? ” 
asked the Admiral irritably; but Aunt Sylvia had 
prudently vanished, leaving Haney to answer the 
question as best she might. 

“ That lazy boy of hers is up to some tricks, I’m 


142 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

afraid,” said the Admiral. “ He comes into my room 
much earlier than he used, and whereas he’s always 
been rather deft about moving things, now he falls 
over the furniture, and seems half asleep ; and he’s ap- 
parently lost all idea of time ; told me this morning his 
watch had run down because he only wound it once, 
yesterday, and he felt sure it must be a great deal 
later than the clock said. I don’t know what to make 
of him. He’s never been brilliant, but at least he’s 
had a few grains of common sense, until lately. My 
first fear was that he might have been drinking, but he 
hadn’t.” 

“ Oh, no,” said Haney, “ he’d never do that ; he’s a 
good boy, I’m sure, grandfather.” 

“Well, well, let it go for this time,” said the 
Admiral. “ It’s a small matter, after all.” 

“ It isn’t a small matter,” said Haney, as she put her 
hand through her grandfather’s arm to walk into the 
dining-room. “ I’ll attend to it — ^you shan’t be waked 
up just when you’re having your beauty nap. Ad- 
miral Beaumont. I will see that it does not occur 
again.” 

“ Will you, indeed ? ” chuckled her grandfather ; 
“ then I shall be perfectly safe. I place my case in 
your hands, my dear, for immediate settlement.” 


143 


Early Morning Echoes 

“ I accept it,” and Nancy waved her hand to the 
portrait of a lawyer ancestor under which they were 
passing at the moment, and they entered the dining- 
room in the best of spirits. 


CHAPTEE XIY 


NANCY MAKES A CALL 

The puzzle came back to Nancy’s mind a few after- 
noons later as she rode Jessie down the hill on her way 
to Potterville, and came suddenly upon Johnny Kane, 
the freckle-faced boy, whistling as he trudged up the 
road. 

“ How do you do ? ” said Nancy, stopping the mare. 
“ Were you going up to our house on any errand ? I 
can turn back, and save you the trouble if you like. I 
thought you might be taking some special thing for 
Mr. Pearson,” she added, as Johnny seemed overcome 
with confusion at her words. 

“ N-no,” he stammered, “ I thought I’d go up and see 
Sylvanus a little while — in the barn,” he explained as 
Nancy looked at him in frank wonderment. “ He’s — 
he’s teaching me how to take care of horses.” 

“When does he teach you, Johnny ? ” asked Nancy 
gravely. She had never seen the boy at Beaumont 
Comers save by special invitation. “ Do you mean he 
talks to you about things while he’s waiting at the post- 
office ? ” 


144 


•45 


Nancy Makes a Call 

She smiled at Johnny, who smiled gratefully back at 
her for helping him out of a corner, although she did 
not know her question had put him in one. 

“Yes,” he said, “he talks to me whenever I’m 
’round ; and I love horses. I’d like to grow up fast and 
help Mr. Hobbs in the livery stable, same as — same as 
the one that helps hun now.” 

“ I’m glad he’s found some one to help him,” said 
Haney in her friendly way ; “ the last time I saw him 
he said his man had gone off, and he didn’t know which 
way to turn.” 

“Yes,” said Johnny Kane. “Well, good-bye, I 
guess I’U be going along,” and with what was intended 
for a fine bow, the boy turned and started up the hill. 

“ Sylvanus told me she’d be gone before this time,” 
he thought as he trudged on ; “I reckon I won’t tell 
him I met her, ’less he asks me.” 

“I wonder what grandfather would say to that,” 
Haney mused, as the mare trotted swiftly along. 
“ He never goes out to the barn, so he won’t know, and 
poor Sylvanus has such small wages I think grand- 
father could not claim all his time. I suppose Sylvanus 
leaves the sleigh at Mr. Hobbs’ to keep Ezra warm, 
while he does the errands and gets the mail, and he 
loves so to feel important ; probably he has half a dozen 


146 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

pupils among the boys. I can’t help it,” said E^ancy 
philosophically, and she turned her thoughts to other 
things. 

An urgent letter had come from Marguerite the night 
before, begging Nancy to plan for the visit “ without 
fail.” She had written that on inquiry she had found 
the ‘‘ Woman’s Exchange,” of which she had told 
Nancy, could not take her embroideries, because Nancy 
lived in another state. 

“ You haven’t said you’d send any,” wrote Marguerite, 
“ so I didn’t tell them your name, but I said you were 
a most particular friend of mine, and that you lived 
only twenty-five miles over the state line. They were 
very polite and interested, but they shook their heads, 
all the same. I told mother I didn’t like to have her a 
director in such a narrow institution, but mother only 
laughed. She didn’t believe your grandfather would 
let you do it, anyway. But, Nancy, he would let you 
have a present from us, wouldn’t he ? just because we 
love you. I want the visit so much, I shall cry my 
eyes out if you can’t come ! ” 

Nancy had put the letter inside her waist when she 
dressed for her call on Mrs. Carter. It lay warm, over 
her heart. It was so good to be longed for as a visitor, 
even if she could not be one. For Nancy knew her 


H7 


Nancy Makes a Call 

grandfather’s pride — ^a pride which seemed a little cold 
and hard to I^ancy, as it had seemed to her gentle 
Frost mother years before. 

“ If we were rich, he’d let me take the present — be- 
cause I didn’t need it,” she explained to Jessie, as they 
reached the foot of the hill, “ but if you are a Beau- 
mont, Jessie, and really want anything that you can’t 
afford, you must hold your head very high — so — and 
try to look as if you didn’t care one straw for it. And, 
oh, it’s hard, when you’re part Frost ! ” 

Jessie moved her ears back and forth in a drooping 
way, as if she fully appreciated I^ancy’s feelings, and 
the little girl patted her silky mane. 

“ You do comfort me, Jessie,” she said softly ; “ for 
you act as if you understood, and I believe you do. 
I^ow we have to turn up this other road where you and 
I have not been since last summer, for we are to call on 
Mrs. Carter, Jessie. I have a card that grandfather 
wrote for me, in grandmother’s card-case, and I feel 
very grown up.” 

The Carter house was set a little back from the road, 
but there were few trees about it, so it was plainly 
to be seen. Jessie trotted up the driveway at a gait 
which J^ancy considered proper for an approaching 
caller. Aunt Sylvia had proposed her going in state 


148 The AdmiraV s Little Housekeeper 


in the carriage, with Sylvanus to drive her, but iS'ancy 
had objected, and her grandfather had borne her 
out. 

“ The child is right, I think,” he said to Aunt Sylvia, 
when the question was discussed. “It might give 
offense to our good friends in Potterville on whom she 
has never called with the carriage. And the Beau- 
mont ladies have . always exchanged friendly visits 
with their neighbors, going from one country place to 
another, on their favorite saddle horses. She may go 
on Jessie, if she likes.” 

At the piazza steps Nancy dismounted ; taking a 
worn old card-case embroidered in faded blues and 
greens from her bag, she hung the bag on the saddle, 
and whispered to Jessie. 

“ If she’s not at home I shan’t go in, Jessie,” she 
said, “ and if she is. I’ll ask where you may go, dear, 
so you’ll not catch cold; grandfather says grand- 
mother’s calls were twenty minutes long, so if I’m 
not where I can see a clock, I shall be so afraid of 
staying too long, I shall probably be back with you 
very soon.” 

She shook out the folds of her old riding-skirt, 
mounted the steps, and pressed the electric bell. Al- 
most instantly a tall man in a black suit, with a face 


Nancy Makes a Call 149 

like that of a wooden soldier, and eyes which looked 
over INTancy’s head, opened the door. 

“ Is Mrs. Carter at home ? ” asked Nancy. 

“ She his, miss,” replied the man, his lips opening 
and closing automatically. 

“ Will you give her my card ? ” said Nancy, stepping 
over the threshold, and then on his tray of carved 
wood the Carters’ butler received a calling-card such 
as his eyes had never before beheld. 

Admiral Beaumont had made it as much like one of 
his wife’s caUing-cards as he possibly could. His fingers 
had lost some of their old-time cunning, but he was 
able to draw with his pen on the oblong card — glazed 
and yellowed by time and seclusion in his desk — a 
bird with a remarkably long and feathery tail, and a 
liberal beak from which floated a pennant; on this 
pennant, in the Admiral’s best and finest penmanship, 
was inscribed “ Miss Nancy Beaumont,” the flourishes 
being so many and so involved that the name was 
almost unrecognizable. 

“ Kindly take a seat there, miss,” said the butler, 
waving his hand toward the room which led from the 
hall at the right, and Nancy walked in, and seating 
herself in a small chair with a straight back, folded 
her hands in her lap. She could hear the murmur of 


150 The Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 

voices up-stairs ; then it stopped, when the butler’s tread 
had reached the next floor ; there was an exclamation 
in a voice Nancy remembered, though she had heard 
it only once, and then swiftly down the stairs came 
Mrs. Carter, and into the room, both hands extended, 
looking more bird-like and flower-like than ever, her 
beautiful dark head rising from a rose-colored gown 
of some material so soft and glossy that Nancy longed 
to smooth it. 

“You dear little thing!” cried Mrs. Carter. “We 
won’t visit in this stiff old room. We’ll go up-stairs 
to my own sunny place, and you’ll take off your hat 
and look as if you had really come to spend the 
afternoon. I’ll ring for the man to take your mare 
out to the stable. What a beauty she is — and how her 
coat shines. Our new man is learning how to get 
that gloss from Mr. Hobbs — the livery stable man. 
He didn’t know much when he came to us, but he’s 
faithful and willing, my husband thinks.” 

She had her arm around Nancy and was drawing 
her to the door, but the little girl resisted her, gently 
but flrmly. 

“ I mustn’t go up this flrst time, Mrs. Carter,” she said, 
“ for grandfather said I must not stay more than about 
twenty minutes, and he would not like it if I forgot ; 


Nancy Makes a Call 151 

and I should be sure to forget if I went up-stairs with 
you,” she added shyly, her cheeks very pink under 
the gaze of her new friend. ‘‘ But if Jessie may go to 
the stable I should be glad, for she might take 
cold.” 

‘‘ She makes me think of a mare I left at home,” said 
Mrs. Carter. “ I might send for her in the spring, and 
you and I could ride together, couldn’t we ? It seems 
strange, but Mr. Carter says there is no one 6lse who 
rides, so far as he knows, though there are so many 
beautiful roads. Mrs. Potter says you’re the only 
equestrienne^,” she added with a mischievous look at 
IS’ancy, “ and I have not heard of any equestrian, either, 
in the two months I’ve been here. I think Mrs. Potter 
would have mentioned his name, if there were one. I 
saw her again yesterday.” 

“ I don’t see why Mrs. Potter didn’t tell her what 
she told me,” ^I'ancy wondered for a moment, but as 
Mrs. Carter talked gayly on, she forgot everything else 
in her delight in looking at her hostess, and listening 
to the ripple of her words. She forgot to look at the 
clock until almost half an hour had passed, but when 
she remembered, she gave a little cry of dismay at 
which Mrs. Carter laughed merrily. 

“ It is because you have made me so much at home,” 


152 The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 


said Nancy in her old-fashioned way, as she rose to go, 
and stood, a quaint but wholly charming little figure, 
both hands clasped in those of her new friend. “ Will 
you come a week from to-day to drink a cup of tea 
with grandfather and me, please? We should be proud 
and delighted to have you.” 

“And I shall be proud and delighted to go,” said 
Mrs. Carter, who had received from Nancy a second 
card bearing the Admiral’s name, which the little girl 
delivered with an appropriate message from her grand- 
father. “And, Nancy, if one of my uncles, who is 
quite a famous physician, happened to be here at the 
time, might I take him with me ? I think Admiral 
Beaumont would enjoy talking with him.” 

“ Any friend of yours will be more than welcome,” 
said Nancy, in the formula she had learned in her baby 
days. “ I love to have people come,” she added with 
the enthusiasm which no amount of formal Beaumont 
training had quenched. “ Please bring him, surely.” 

“ J essie,” said the little girl, leaning over tiU her head 
came as close as might be to the mare’s ears, when they 
were out on the homeward road once more ; “ Jessie 
dear — she is a real lady, and I know grandfather would 
say so, if I could explain to him how I know so well — 
but I can’t tell any one except you. I was there thirty- 


»53 


Nancy Makes a Call 

five — minutes — Jessie, and she never mentioned that 
lace scarf ! She didn’t even do what Mrs. Potter calls 
‘ making an opening ’ for me to speak of it, Jessie I 
Now let’s fiy home, dear, as fast as we can ! ” 


CHAPTER XV 


SYLVANUS IS MISSING 

The next week would have been a delightful one for 
Haney, if it had not been for her grandfather’s rheuma- 
tism. It was not only the gout in his poor foot, or the 
stiffness of the leg wounded so long ago ; there was 
scarcely a part of the Admiral’s gaunt frame which did 
not cause him moments of excruciating pain. 

He bore it without flinching, but his disposition suf- 
fered, and Haney, of whom he was devotedly fond in 
his undemonstrative fashion, found it almost impossible 
to please her grandfather. 

But the mending was progressing to her perfect 
satisfaction, and while the mesh grew under her little 
fingers her thoughts were busy with many pleasant 
possibilities. 

“ If only grandfather’s rheumatism would be better 
before I have to ask him if I may take the money,” 
she said to herself many times. “ When he feels well, 
he is not nearly as Beaumonty as when he’s ill. Is he, 
Julia Frost ? ” 


164 


Sylvanus is Missing 155 

Julia Frost who, after one unfortunate encounter 
with the Admiral’s gouty foot, had been denied the 
privileges of the library and hall, sat at a respectful 
distance, eyeing Nancy’s work with some disfavor. 
She had once essayed to jump into it, and had been 
rebuffed gently but surely. As to her opinion of the 
Admiral, she expressed it by an elaborate yawn. 

“ I feel like yawning, too, Julia,” said Nancy. “ I’ll 
put away this scarf and play with you for a while. 
To-morrow is the day of our tea-drinking, Julia — and 
such frosted cakes as Aunt Sylvia has made ! And I 
think there’s to be some butt’nut s’prise, too, for an 
extra, you know.” 

Julia Frost yawned again, but after the yawn she 
began to purr, and settled herself comfortably on 
Nancy’s shoulder. 

“ It has been hard work to keep Sylvanus from go- 
ing into grandfather’s room too early,” said Nancy, 
rubbing her cheek back and forth on Julia’s fur. “ Day 
before yesterday I was barely in time ; I don’t see what 
is the matter with Sylvanus ; he’s up so early, and yet 
he seems half asleep ; and Aunt Sylvia is not up as soon 
as she used to be, I’m sure, or she would look after 
him. Poor dear Aunt Sylvia is growing old, I’m 
afraid.” 


156 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 


Nancy was half frightened at this thought, for Aunt 
Sylvia had been her refuge and her comforter so many 
times, and now she began to feel that Aunt Sylvia 
must not be told things which might trouble her. 

“ Jack told me to write to him if anything bothered 
me,’’ said Nancy to her cat, “ but I couldn’t bear to 
write hun little troubling things when he’s away in 
college working so hard with his studies and tutoring, 
and making us prouder and prouder of him all the 
time. And of course I mustn’t write any worries to 
Marguerite or her mother. There doesn’t seem to be 
any one just right for me to tell, now — and I don’t feel 
so very grown-up, Julia Frost — not half as grown-up as 
I ought to feel, I suppose.” 

The cat stretched out one gray paw toward the rose- 
colored silk, in wliich the scarf lay on top of Nancy’s 
bureau. 

“I know what you’re thinking, Julia Frost,” said 
Nancy, “ you are thinking that Mrs. Carter would be a 
person any one would love to tell things ; and she is 
sensible, for all she looks like the flowers and the birds,” 
she added, cuddling the little gray paw in her hand ; 
“ you’re exactly right, J ulia Frost. But I do not know 
her very well yet, you see.” 

Julia Frost shut her eyes, and purred louder than 


157 


Sylvanus is Missing 

ever. She had the air of one who, having oflTered a 
valuable suggestion, had no further concern about it. 

The next morning, long before the first ray of day- 
light had come to her room, Nancy waked, to hear a 
sound which to her quick ears was unmistakable. 

“ It’s the barn door,” she said, her heart beating fast, 
as she sat up in bed. “ Oh, do you suppose any of the 
thieves I’ve been reading about in the paper to grand- 
father could be trying to steal one of the horses — 
Jessie ! ” 

She could not think fast enough, it seemed to her. 
There was no time to stop for anything. She ran to 
the window, catching her little wadded wrapper from 
the foot of the bed and, flinging the window open, she 
leaned far out, so that she could see the bridle-path. 
If it were a thief, he must take that way, with the 
horse. As she leaned out she caught the gleam of a 
lantern, and by its flickering light she saw the face of 
the man who held it in one hand while with the other 
he led Jessie, who stepped softly along as if she felt 
the need of caution. It was Sylvanus ! 

Nancy shivered a little as she saw him start down 
the bridle-path, carrying the lantern and leading her 
mare, but she did not call after him. 

“ He’ll put the lantern do^vn in the bushes by the 


158 TAe Admiral' s Ljittle Housekeeper 


ledge,” she whispered, “and then he’ll ride Jessie into 
town. Oh, I wonder where he goes. I wonder if poor 
Aunt Sylvia suspects, and that is worrying her.” 

It was with a heavy little heart that I^ancy shut the 
window and crept back into bed. She tried to 
straighten out her thoughts, but they were in too much 
of a whirl. If Aunt Sylvia knew, what could be the 
errand that took Sylvanus into town so early, day after 
day ? — for Nancy at once decided he must be the rider 
whose horse’s hoofs she and Mrs. Potter had heard. 
And if Aunt Sylvia did not know — that would be 
stranger still. 

“ That’s the reason Sylvanus has been so sleepy and 
so queer about waking grandfather,” thought Nancy. 
“ Oh, dear, I wish Jack were at home, so he could tell 
me what to do — or do it himself.” 

She did not fall asleep again ; she lay there broad 
awake, thinking and thinking; at last she began to 
listen for the sound of returning hoofs, for the daylight 
was slowly stealing into her room ; but no sound of 
hoofs came, while the light grew and the shadows be- 
gan to recede to the corners of the room. 

“ It’s time to take the horses out for their frisk, I’m 
sure,” thought Nancy. “ I hope nothing has happened 
to him.” 


Sylvanus is Missing 159 

At that moment her door opened and Aunt Sylvia 
came in, breathless. 

“ Put yo’ wrapper on, honey,” she said in a stifled 
voice, “ an’ come to de Admiral quick as you kin. He’s 
jess r’arin’ mad ’kase dat ’Yanus ain’ to be found, an’ 
he wants his laig rubbed, an’ he done tole me f otch you 
quick as I knew how.” 

“Grandfather, dear, can I do anything to help?” 
asked Haney as she ran into the Admiral’s room and up 
to the bed where he was sitting, propped up by many 
pillows, his face red with indignation. 

“ Do ! ” echoed the Admiral ; “ yes, Haney, there is 
something you can do. Tell me where that lazy, 
good-for-nothing son of Aunt Sylvia’s is! The one 
time I’ve wanted him, for weeks, and he’s not to be 
found ! Where is he, woman ? ” he demanded, glaring 
at poor Aunt Sylvia. 

His forehead was damp with perspiration and his 
brows drawn together with pain. The old darkey 
looked at him pityingly. 

“ I’s done tell you, Adm’ral ; I’s sent him on an arrant 
I fo’ de house, an’ he’U be back terreckly,” she said 
mildly. 

“ Errand for the house at this time of day,” roared 
the Admiral. “ Honsense ! he isn’t out of his bed.” 


i6o The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

“ Oh, yes, he is, grandfather,” said IN’ancy. “ I saw 
him start on his errand ; ” she looked across at Aunt 
Sylvia, whose hands were lifted, and then fell to her 
sides. “ And hark ! Yes, I’m sure I hear him coming 
now. You go and hurry him, please, Aunt Sylvia, 
and I’ll stay with grandfather.” 

She laid her little cool hand on the Admiral’s fore- 
head, and he looked up at her, his face still drawn with 
pain. 

“ There, it isn’t quite so bad,” he murmured. “ You 
go oif, child ; I’m in no fit temper for young lady 
visitors. I can’t hold my old tongue.” 

Nancy moved her smooth, cool fingers slowly back 
and forth over the drawn forehead. 

“ Poor grandfather,” she said softly. “ I’m so sorry 
about the horrid pain.” 

She was still smoothing his forehead when Sylvanus, 
limping a little, came into the room, full of apologies, 
and wide awake. 

“ I hope you’ll pardon my unappearance earlier. Ad- 
miral,” he said humbly, “ but the occasions and circum- 
stances that delayed me ” 

“ Don’t go on with that rigmarole of yours,” com- 
manded the Admiral ; “ get to work with your rubbing 
boy.” 


Sylvanus is Missing i6i 

Nancy stole out of the room, and back to her own. 
She began to dress, slowly, thinking with each moment 
that Aunt Sylvia would appear, and explain the 
mystery of her son’s early ride. But when Aunt 
Sylvia came, she was full of talk about Julia Frost and 
the kittens ; she gave Nancy no time to ask a question. 

“ ’Pears like dere nebber was two smarter kittens 
dan Spick ’n’ Span,” she said, as she gave a last brush- 
ing to Nancy’s curls, already shining from her minis- 
trations. “ I’ll tell you some more ’bout what dey’s done 
when I has more time, honey ; dis’ll be a mighty busy 
day fo’ me, an’ I’s got to keep my mind cl’ar for de 
aft’noon,” she added as she stepped quickly out of the 
room, and closed the door behind her. 

“ But she didn’t look troubled,” said Nancy, com- 
forting herself, “so perhaps it is all right about 
Sylvanus — only — ^Aunt Sylvia knows I don’t like any 
one but myself to ride Jessie. I suppose it was because 
she’s the swiftest and the surest-footed that he took 
her. But Aunt Sylvia will explain to me to-morrow, of 
course. If she doesn’t,” said Nancy decidedly, “ I shall 
ask her, no matter how fast she talks about Spick and 
Span. And in the meantime I shall run do^vn to the 
bam and see if Jessie is all right, while Sylvanus is 
with grandfather, and I shall let Sylvanus know that I 


i 62 T/ie Admiral's Little Housekeeper 


am not very much pleased with him,” said iN'ancy, her 
little chin held high, as she opened her door, and 
walked down the stairs, and out of the house toward 
the barn. 


CHAPTER XVI 
‘‘aunt Sylvia’s shop” 

In spite of its unfortunate beginning the day of the 
tea-drinking was not a disagreeable one. Haney’s trip 
to the barn failed to reveal that any harm, even of the 
slightest nature, had been endured by Jessie. 

Haney had a long, affeetionate talk with the mare, 
and ran baek to the house just in time for breakfast. 
She passed Sylvanus in the path, and the sight of his 
humble faee softened Haney’s heart toward him. She 
nodded to him, but did not say anything. 

“ I think Sylvanus ought to apologize to me,” she 
told herself, and again her delieate ehin was raised in a 
fashion whieh would have delighted the Admiral. 
“ He shouldn’t have taken Jessie without asking me.” 

The Admiral was sitting in the sun, in the dining- 
room window, and he rose at her entrance, looking 
more cheerful than he had looked for days. 

“ I think that may have been a ‘ final kick,’ as they 
say, my dear, of my rheumatism, at any rate for a 
while,” said the Admiral. “ Since the rubbing Sylvanus 
gave me I feel better, and have less pain than I’ve had 
163 


164 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

for two weeks. It may be partly the clear, dry air, 
and the change in the wind. It is a beautiful day for 
your friends to come to Beaumont Corners. What did 
Mrs. Carter write you her uncle’s name is, Nancy ? ” 

“Dr. William Halliday,” said the little girl, “ and, 
grandfather, we read something about him in the paper 
one day, I’m sure. It was about some wonderful 
operation he had performed for a lame man.” 

“ I believe we did read something of the sort,” said 
the Admiral. “ I wish he could take the stiffness out 
of my joints, and twenty years from my shoulders, my 
dear ; that is the kind of operation I sadly need. But 
let us talk of something more possible.” 

Nancy saw that all his irritation at Sylvanus had 
vanished when his temporary release from suffering 
came, and she carefully avoided any subject which 
might recall it to his mind. They had a cheerful break- 
fast and an interesting hour of study on wheat-fields — 
something in the paper having brought them to the 
Admiral’s notice. 

When they had learned all the encyclopaedia and 
their books of reference could teach them about wheat, 
the Admiral told Nancy to “ rim and play a while.” 
This was a time-honored request, but the Admiral had 
never inquired how it was fulfilled. 


Aunt Sylvia s Shop” 165 

I^ancy went to her room, and took the scarf from its 
hiding-place; there was such a little bit more to be 
done, and it seemed as if the way were clear for her to 
finish her beautiful work. With patience and skill her 
fingers wove in and out, under and over, with the 
gossamer thread, until the last stitch had been taken. 
For one ecstatic moment she held it off and gazed at it ; 
then she wrapped it once more in the rose-colored silk, 
and catching up Julia Frost, who was sunning herself 
on the window sill, she squeezed her until the little cat 
uttered a plaintive “ miaow ” of remonstrance. 

“ Oh, Julia Frost, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” said 
I^ancy, petting her, and soothing her injured feelings, 
“ but I’ve just thought that I will have the scarf all 
ready, lying out on my bed, vdth the rose-ccfiored silk 
under it, to show off its pattern, when I go down-stairs 
to the tea-drinking. And then, when grandfather and 
Dr. Halliday are talking together, I will ask Mrs. Carter 
to come up-stairs to see my room, and then she will 
discover the scarf. Won’t that be lovely, Juha ? ” and 
Nancy clasped her hands over the cat’s soft fur 
and squeezed her again, though not as hard as 
before. 

Nancy chose to wear what Aunt Sylvia had always 
called her “ dressing ” delaine that afternoon ; Nancy 


i66 The AdmiraV s Tittle Housekeeper 

had never understood the name, but Aunt Sylvia had 
always assured her that “dressing” was what her 
mother had called it. There were little posies scattered 
over the white ground, and the posies were tied with 
blue bows and long fluttering ends ; both the flowers and 
the ribbons had faded, but Nancy had always loved the 
little dress. 

“ Tears like it cyant fade no mo’, ” Aunt Sylvia re- 
marked, as she hooked it up Nancy’s straight slender 
back that afternoon. “ Cyant you rec’llect, honey, how 
when I fust made dat dress ober fo’ you, dose posies 
jess fla’nted dereselves, dey was so bright an’ pinky, 
an’ dose knots an’ ends was de bluest blue dat ebber I 
see. But it’s a dressing pattern jess de same, an’ dat’s 
always fash’nable, ’kase dere’s de dressing shepherd- 
resses ebery time when dere’s a county ball, to dis 
day, ’sides dose dat folkses keep on dere mantelpieces 
fo’ show-off ornaments.” 

It seemed as if the hour for the tea-drinking would 
never come ; Nancy looked out of the windows, first 
one, then another ; she poked the fire, rearranged the 
sofa-cushions, sat in one chair after another, while the 
Admiral dozed by the fire ; every few minutes she tip- 
toed out into the hall, where the old clock ticked 
solemnly on. 


Aunt Sylvia s Shop^^ 167 

“ You never were so slow before,” said Nancy to the 
clock, “but the time is going, in spite of you.” 

At last, far down the road she heard the jingle of 
bells, coming nearer and nearer ; up the driveway came 
the two coal-black horses, their trappings shining like 
silver, while on the front seat of the sleigh they drew 
sat two men, with ruddy, inexpressive faces, who were 
dressed exactly alike in plum-colored livery with shin- 
ing silver buttons, and great fur collars. One of these 
men held the reins, while the other sat with folded 
arms. Behind them Nancy saw the big black hat with 
its nodding plumes, and a soft fur cap on a white head 
beside it. 

“ Grandfather,” said Nancy, at the Admiral’s elbow, 
“ grandfather, the company is just arriving.” 

She was about to start for the door when Aunt Sylvia, 
in an apron so starched that it crackled with each step 
she took, marched along the hall. 

“ Keep back in de room, honey,” she commanded in 
a whisper, “ and be standing up, kind ob easy an’ yet 
cordial, when I ushers in de comp’ny.” 

The Admiral rose with Nancy’s help, but as his stick 
had slipped from his hand, to fall under the table, 
Nancy was on the floor, picking it up, instead of stand- 
ing with an easy and yet cordial air, when Aunt Sylvia’s 


i68 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 


voice, raised till it was almost like a trumpet, an- 
nounced the visitors. 

“Mis’ Cyarter an’ Dr. Halliday to see Admiral 
Beaumont an’ Miss Nancy Beaumont,” pealed Aunt 
Sylvia, and she waved the guests in, making such a 
courtesy as only she knew how to make. 

The Admiral was charmed with Mrs. Carter — Nancy 
saw that at once, with great delight, and yet with 
amazement, for surely no Beaumont lady ever greeted 
a stranger with such an air of gay comradeship as this I 
It was quite different from Mrs. Compton’s gentle 
sweetness ; the Admiral had been courteous and gallant 
to her, but his eyes had not been lighted by the gleams 
of amusement which this fearless visitor had called forth. 

Dr. Halliday was a fine-looking man of sixty, with 
wonderful eyes which were sometimes blue and some- 
times black ; he had a quick, decisive way of speaking 
which Nancy admired, and the Admiral treated him 
with great respect, as a person who had achieved much 
in the professional world. 

Tea was served in a few moments, brought in by 
Aunt Sylvia on the big tray while Betty followed with 
a smaller tray on which were three plates — one of 
scones, one of frosted pound-cakes, and one of butter- 
nut surprise. 


Aunt Sylvia's Shop" 169 

It was when the doctor caught sight of this last 
plate that he gave an exclamation of delight. 

“I declare this is a treat,” he said as Betty, her 
hands scrubbed until they were bright pink to the very 
finger-tips, passed him the plate. “My boy brought 
home some of this from school a few days ago ; he got 
it at a little new shop which has been started in the 
neighborhood, and is much patronized by the children. 
He would only spare his mother and me one good-sized 
piece between us.” 

“ I don’t believe it could have been exactly like this. 
Dr. Halliday,” said Haney, fearful of Aunt Sylvia’s 
disappointment. “ At least, this is an old recipe and 
we thought nobody else had it.” 

“ It’s precisely the same, I should say,” the doctor 
announced after a critical taste of the candy. 

“We — at least Aunt Sylvia and I — have always 
called it ‘ butt’nut s’prise,’ ” said Haney. “ Probably 
she’s told other people how to make it, some time ; she 
invented it. Dr. Halliday, years ago.” 

“ What did you call her ? ” asked the doctor, his eyes 
keen and interested, as he glanced at the door through 
which Aunt Sylvia had vanished. The Admiral and 
Mrs. Carter were talking, not listening to the others. 

“ Aunt Sylvia,” repeated Haney, softly, though she 


170 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 


could not have told why. “She is my dear old 
mammy, who does everything for me ; and she loved 
my mother, too.” 

“ Ah ! ” said the doctor ; he leaned over toward 
^Tancy as he took a second piece of the candy at her 
urgent request. “ That’s rather a curious coincidence. 
Miss IJTancy. The little place I spoke of, which is a 
private venture of half a dozen ladies, I’m told, which 
has various home-made delicacies, is named for one of 
the principal consigners, I believe, and she is an Aunt 
— Somebody ; it is called ‘ Aunt — Somebody’s — Shop.’ 
It almost might be Aunt Sylvia, as I recall the chil- 
dren’s talk, when I’ve seen two or three of them 
munching goodies. It seems there’s a peculiar sort of 
buns to be had there, which they consider far superior 
to any other.” 

Nancy looked at him, wide-eyed. 

‘‘ Not walnut buns ! ” she breathed ; “ it couldn’t be ! ” 

The doctor nodded. 

“ That’s it,” he said in a low tone. “ What’s going 
on here. Miss Nancy ? Some kind of witch-work ? ” 

Nancy locked her fingers together, and tried to keep 
still. 

“ How could it be ? ” she asked. “ You live way off 
in the city, where the Comptons do.” 


Aunt Sylvia s Shop" 


171 

“Why, Mrs. Compton is on two or three boards 
with my wife,” said the doctor. “A sweet little 
woman, and I’m glad you know her. But the city 
isn’t so far off as it might be. Why, they tell me 
there’s an express that goes through here some time in 
the early morning that reaches us in a few hours. 
You’re remembering that wonderful ride of yours in 
the freight car ; your friend Mrs. Potter told me about 
it, yesterday. That was rather slow travel.” 

“ Dr. Halliday,” said Nancy, “ would you just as 
soon not tell grandfather about that shop ? Oh, you 
don’t understand,” and she put her hand with a quick 
gesture on his arm, as his expression changed ; “ it — it’s 
only to save grandfather’s pride — not dear Aunt 
Sylvia. I can see everything now — all at once ! ” 

Mrs. Carter had told her uncle what she knew and 
also what she suspected of the state of the old 
Admiral’s finances. And now, as he looked at Nancy 
in her little faded delaine, his quick brain jumped to 
the right conclusion. He took Nancy’s hand, and held 
it for a moment in a strong clasp. 

“ You may trust me,” he said gravely. 

“ Is this a compact of friendship, or what is it ? ” 
demanded Mrs. Carter’s gay voice, as she turned and 
saw the clasped hands. 


172 The AdmiraTs Tittle Housekeeper 

“ It is exactly that, and I’m proud to make it,” said 
Dr. HaUiday, releasing I^ancy’s hand. 

“ Then if it is formally witnessed, won’t you take 
me up to show me your room, as you promised, before 
we go home ? ” Mrs. Carter asked the little girl. “ I 
am afraid we are staying too long,” she said with a 
mischievous side glance at the Admiral. 

“That would be quite impossible,” returned the 
Admiral gallantly, and Mrs. Carter swept a low cour- 
tesy, quite different from Aunt Sylvia’s, but made 
with her own special grace. 

“ Some day, perhaps you would like to see the whole 
house,” said IN’ancy, “ but to-day I just want to show 
you my room. Don’t you — do you think it is pretty ? 
I had to shut the door to keep Julia Frost out — be- 
cause Oh,” said li^ancy, with a child’s eagerness in 

her voice, “ will you please look at what’s on the bed 
before you look at anything else ! ” 


CHAPTEK XYH 


THE SECRET IS OUT 

It was nearly half an hour later when Mrs. Carter 
and Nancy went down the stairs together. Nancy’s 
cheeks were flushed and her eyes looked as if there 
might have been tears in them not long before, but 
her soft lips were curved in a smile, and Mrs. Carter’s 
arm was around her as they descended the stairs. 

“Now remember,” she said, as they reached the 
haU, “ don’t you be one bit frightened, and don’t say 
anything until you have to, Nancy. If I can’t make 
the Admiral see things a little my way, I shall consider 
myself a perfect failure — and it will be the first time 
in my life I’ve ever been really humble,” she whis- 
pered in Nancy’s ear, as they were about to enter 
the library ; “ perhaps I need a lesson, but I don’t 
believe this is the right time for it ! ” 

The Admiral and Dr. HaUiday were so deeply en- 
gaged in conversation that they did not hear the 
entering footsteps. 

“ No, sir,” the Admiral was saying to the physician 
as Mrs. Carter and Nancy crossed the threshold, “ I 
173 


174 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

do not wish to sell one foot of my land to the mill 
people ; it’s their work, it’s their sordid manufacturing 
element that has changed the town — ruined it, to my 
mind.” 

Then he saw Mrs. Carter, and suddenly realized that 
the wife of a man closely connected with the “ sordid 
manufacturing element ” might, quite naturally, take 
offense at his words — yet he could not retract them. 
He looked at her regretfully, but there was no regret 
on Mrs. Carter’s charming face as she stepped close to 
him, and smiled mischievously. 

“ I can’t have you calling my husband sordid,” she 
said, “because he isn’t. Admiral Beaumont. I shall 
bring him out here and let him talk to you about his 
collection of Hapoleonia, and his extended Thackeray 
and Washington Irving — then you’ll see.” 

She spoke with pretty defiance, but the Admiral 
answered her quickly ; it seemed as if they both forgot 
the listeners. 

“ Your husband has money, and you have more,’ 
said the Admiral ; “ why should he turn himself into 
a business drudge, in work which has no glory, or 
power for good, no influence on the country — for the 
sake of making more money ? ” 

The black hat was tilted at a sharper angle, and 


The Secret is Out 


175 


the face beneath its shade wore a look of mingled 
indignation and amazement for a moment, then Mrs. 
Carter smiled again. 

“ Dear Admiral Beaumont,” she said, “ you’ve never 
been near the mills. I know it by the way you talk. 
Some day when you are feeling just like it, I will 
drive out here for you, and take you down to a place 
I love, where you can hear the rushing of the water 
that turns the great wheels, and then you’ll shut your 
eyes and think of the cotton that’s being woven — 
the great sheets and bales to be made later into bed- 
ding and clothes for our soldiers and sailors — the men 
that protect us on land and sea. You’ll love the sound 
of it.” 

The Admiral looked at her blankly for a moment, 
and while he looked, Mrs. Carter pressed her advantage. 

I know just how it is,” she said, nodding her head 
wisely ; “ you’ve never thought about that part of it. 
You’d rather have all the nice people in this world 
adopt professions; that’s exactly the way my father 
felt until I convinced him how much more worth while 
it is to be a good business man than a poor lawyer or 
physician ; of course for the army and navy one must 
have a special bent, to be successful,” and she swept a 
courtesy to the Admiral with her hand on her heart. 


176 The Admiral' s Tittle Housekeeper 

“ I never thought of it in that way,” said the Ad- 
miral, a glint of amusement in his eyes. 

“ I knew you never had,” said his guest in a tone of 
triumph. “ But now you’ll think of it, and there’s an- 
other thing — I have no respect whatever for people 
who aren’t willing to earn money — not a particle. My 
father had to let me go to a dressmaking and millinery 
class, and then he had to let me make some hats and 
send them to the Woman’s Exchange — just to see if I 
was worth my salt — and they sold. Admiral Beaumont 
— they sold for ten dollars apiece, and I gave the 
money to father’s pet charity — and he was prouder of 
me than ever before or since.” 

“ Dear me, you’re a very talented young woman, I’m 
sure,” said the Admiral, the amusement still in his eyes. 

“ All my friends did it,” said Mrs. Carter, “ and two 
or three of my best friends, who don’t happen to be 
rich, or even comfortably off, make hats for the rest of 
us still ; and we’re so glad to give them what their skill 
deserves, instead of paying it to some shopkeeper who 
has enough customers without us. You see it’s cooper- 
ation, Admiral ; they give us what we need—^and we 
give them what they need — only of course skill and 
taste are much more valuable than money — so we get 
the best of every bargain.” 


The Secret is Out 


177 

“ I see,” said the Admiral. “ Your reasoning is ex- 
tremely clear.” 

“ I’m glad you’d admit it,” said Mrs. Carter, “ and 
by the way, I want to show you something — both you 
gentlemen, and ISTancy, I think, may like to look at it 
again, though I’ve shown it to her before.” 

Nancy’s breath came fast, as Mrs. Carter unrolled 
the rose-colored silk, and displayed the beautiful scarf. 

“ I want you to look at this, please, carefully, with 
your very best eyesight,” said Mrs. Carter, “ and tell 
me, if you can, where it has been mended. There was 
a great, jagged tear in it, and a friend of mine has re- 
paired it so that I may wear it again. Please find the 
mended place — if you can.” 

The two men held the scarf obediently, and searched 
its length for the place where the jagged tear had been. 

“ We’d better take it close to the window,” said Dr. 
HaUiday after a few moments ; “ let us get all the light 
we can on the matter.” 

It seemed to Nancy as if she scarcely drew a breath 
until they came back, shaking their heads. The Ad- 
miral returned the scarf to Mrs. Carter with a courtly 
bow. 

“ That must be a very wonderful piece of work on a 
scarf which I judge to be almost priceless,” he said. 


178 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

“ If my wife were here she would be able to appreciate 
it as it deserves. She was a great lover of beautiful 
lace, and skilled in mending it, as well. If she had 
lived, little Nancy would have had the same talent 
well developed,” he added, looking regretfully at his 
granddaughter. 

“ Now what should you say if I told you that the 
person who mended this scarf hesitated about accepting 
the money for her work ? ” said Mrs. Carter, looking at 
the two gentlemen with uplifted brows. “ Don’t you 
think it would be very ungenerous to leave me with 
such a weight of obligation ? She might use the money 
for any purpose she liked — that would be no concern 
of mine.” 

“ I should be inclined to tell her I would never wear 
the scarf until she had let me pay for it,” said Dr. Hal- 
liday. “ She must be rather an ungenerous person.” 

“ Oh, no, she isn’t ! ” said Mrs. Carter ; “ she is quite 
the opposite.” 

“Can’t you present the matter to her in such a 
light that she will see your position ? ” asked the Ad- 
miral in his most judicial tone. “ Can’t you tell her 
that it will make you unhappy to accept such a gift 
and be unable to make the least return ? Could 
you not suggest that she might appropriately purchase 


The Secret is Out 


179 

something by which to remember her friendly, ex- 
quisite work and your gratitude ? ” 

“ Admiral Beaumont, I believe you have hit on the 
very thing I can do,” said Mrs. Carter. 

She turned to I^ancy, and laid her hand on the little 
girl’s arm. 

“You have heard him, l^ancy,” she said, “ you have 
heard the Admiral, l^ow will you do as he suggests, 
dear, and please me? Will you take this,” and she 
thrust a little blue slip of paper, folded twice, into 
I^ancy’s hand, “ and use it in some way to remember 
your friendly, exquisite work and my gratitude, as 
your grandfather has said ? ” 

“ Oh, thank you ! Oh, may I, grandfather ? ” and 
she looked at the Admiral as if there were no one else 
in the room. 

The Admiral stared down at her, uncomprehending, 
and incredulous. 

“You,” he said in a wondering voice ;“ you — little 
Nancy ! You can’t be the one about whom she was 
talking ! You could never have done that work.” 

“ Yes, grandfather,” said Nancy, going close to him, 
still with the air of seeing no one else in the room. “ It 
is lovely work to do ; you know grandmother began to 
teach me, and then Aunt Sylvia taught me all she knew 


i8o The Admiral's Little Housekeeper 


and — and perhaps I inherited some of it from my 
Beaumont ancestors, grandfather, for it is so easy — ^you 
can’t think how easy it is, and how I love to do it ! ” 

The Admiral stood silent, holding the little hand she 
had slipped into his, looking down at it. Then he took 
his other hand and spread Nancy’s fingers on his pahn, 
regarding them as if they were wonderful things which 
he had never seen before. The little blue paper fiut- 
tered unnoticed to the fioor. 

‘‘And you would be glad to get something for a 
remembrance of the work and the friend for whom you 
did it ? ” questioned the Admiral. “ Perhaps when you 
go to the city to pay your visit, you would like to buy 
something. You see money is a matter of small con- 
sequence to Mrs. Carter, my dear ; you need not feel 
overburdened, I am sure, by her kindness,” and he 
spoke with his grandest air. 

Mrs. Carter stooped and picked up the little blue 
slip. 

“ Here it is,” she said, holding it out to Nancy, “ and 
with Aunt Sylvia to help you, it will do such wonder- 
ful things, I shall feel beautifully remembered for a 
long time.” 

“ Aunt Sylvia,” echoed Dr. Halliday. “ By the way, 
I wonder if I might have a word with her before I go, 


The Secret is Out i8i 

Miss ItTancy ? There’s something I’d like to ask her, 
about buns and ” 

He stopped abruptly, for into the room marched 
Aunt Sylvia, her head up in the air, and a gleam in her 
eyes such as the Admiral had not seen for many a year 
— not since the days when she had protected Haney’s 
father in his little boyhood — it was the light of battle. 

“ What is it you wants to ax me ? ” she asked, stop- 
ping in the middle of the floor, her eyes riveted on Dr. 
Halliday. 

“Aunt Sylvia!” said the Admiral sternly, but she 
paid not the slightest heed. 

“ If you’s gwine ax me ’bout dose buns, an’ frosted 
cookies an’ butt’nut s’prise an’ anyt’ing else, you 
needn’t,” said Aunt Sylvia, her voice high and strained 
with excitement. “I knowed when you said de fust 
words dat I couldn’t keep my secret no longer, an’ I 
don’ need to — for I isn’t ’shamed — no, sah. I’s proud 
ob what I’s done.” 

“ What is aU this about ? ” demanded the Admiral. 

Every one save the doctor waited anxiously for Aunt 
Sylvia’s reply ; he was quite sure, by that time, what 
she had to tell. 

“ AU you t’inks about is yo’ pride o’ race,” said Aunt 
Sylvia, turning on the Admiral a face blazing with 


i 82 The Admiral's L,ittle Housekeeper 

wrath ; “ acres an’ acres ob land” — she stretched her 
arms wide — “ an’ not one ob ’em sold so my little Miss 
Nancy can hab de visitings an’ educations dat b’longs 
to a Beaumont lady. Not one acre ! ” and she let her 
arms fall. 

“But dere’s folks dat’s brack as coals an’ doesn’t 
know nuffin’ but cooking an’ housework, dat can help 
her get what b’longs to her ! ’Most ebery day since 
Mis’ Gen’l Compton went back to de city I’s got up at 
two o’clock in de mo’ning, an’ I’s cooked an’ cooked — 
an’ I’s riz dat ’Yanus out o’ his baid, an’ he is borrowed 
my little Miss Nancy’s mare, an’ tooken all dose cook- 
ings ob mine in a pastebo’d box and strop dat box on 
Jessie’s back, and ride her careful down to de Potter- 
ville station fo’ to cotch de five-thutty train. An’ Mis’ 
Gen’l Compton an’ some lady friends ob hers, dey’s 
named a little shop whar folkses send t’ings to eat, 
‘ Aunt Sylvia’s Shop ’ — ^yes, sah, ’kase dey likes my 
cookings, I s’pose. 

“An’ I’s ’arned a pile ob money already, an’ dat 
’Yanus is helped out too, all ob his own wishes, by 
doing work fo’ Mr. Libery Stable Hobbs while he waits 
fo’ de mail. An’ Mr. Lord at de station he’s kep’ de 
secret, an’ Mr. Libery Stable Hobbs is kept it, an’ 
’Yanus is kept it, too — ^an’ Mis’ Gen’l Compton. 


The Secret is Out 


‘83 

“ But dis mo’ning,” — the blazing wrath died from the 
old black face, and Aunt Sylvia drooped — “ suddently, 
dis mo’ning, I knew we couldn’t keep it no longer ; fo’ dat 
’Vanus, he done slip down on de railroad tracks, and he 
twis’ his knee j’ints cl’ar round, an’ scrape de skin off his 
ankle bones, an’ hit his haid too ; an’ he had to wait at 
de station to c’Uect his senses an’ get his pore j’ints into 
place, an’ de whole ob Potterville, including Mis’ Pot- 
ter, cotched sight ob him. 

“ So den I knew I’d hab to tell, an’ when dis gen’le- 
man came from de city knowing ’bout de shop, I knew 
I’d got to tell quick. But I isn’t ’shamed,” said Aunt 
Sylvia, “ an’ dat is all I got to say.” 

“Aunt Sylvia,” said Dr. HaUiday, in his crispest 
tone, “ if you could see that sign, gold letters on a 
bright red ground, and see the school children crowd 
into the shop, you’d be so proud you could hardly con- 
tain yourself ! ” 

Haney had run to her old mammy, for Aunt Sylvia 
looked as if she might drop to the floor. She turned to 
Dr. HaUiday, her Ups working tremulously. 

“Does — does de sign swing, or do it hang up 
stiff ? ” she asked, as she felt Haney’s hand on her 
arm. 

“It swings,” said Dr. HaUiday; “it swings glori- 


184 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

ously when the wind blows. I’ve heard the children 
teU of it.” 

“I devised Mis’ Gen’l Compton to hab it swing,” 
said Aunt Sylvia ; “ chillun loves to hab t’ings like dat,” 
and she moved toward the door. “ T’ank you, sah.” 

She had not looked again at the Admiral, who was 
sitting, his head sunk on his hand. But when she 
reached the door, she turned and went back to him 
with surprising swiftness. 

“Adm’ral,” she faltered, “kin you forgib me fo’ 
saying what’s true, when I didn’t hab de rights to say 
it? I’s served you faithful, an’ I’ll serve you stiU, 
long’s I lib — but — but I’s got to speak de truf out 
once in a while.” 

And then something happened which had not hap- 
pened since a day, years before, when iN’ancy’s father 
had been spared injustice by Aunt Sylvia’s wrathful 
intervention — the Admiral held out his hand for the 
old mammy to grasp. 

There passed no word between them, and Aunt 
Sylvia stepped softly from the room, courtesying to 
the company when she reached the door. The Admiral 
roused himself — the good-byes were said ; the sleigh 
with its clean-stepping horses, its jingling bells, and 
its two stolid men, was summoned to the door^ 


The Secret is Out 


185 

“ Will you tell your husband that he will receive a 
reply to the letter he sent me in a day or two ? ” said 
the Admiral as he held Mrs. Carter’s hand to say his 
last words ; “ and I hope this visit is but the first of 
many.” 

As the sleigh jingled do^vn the road Mrs. Carter 
turned to her uncle, her manner unusually subdued, 
and her eyes pensive. 

“ I feel as if I had taken a good deal more excite- 
ment than is usually served with afternoon tea,” she 
said softly, “ and you look as if you felt the same way. 
But I wouldn’t have missed it for anything — would 
you ? ” 

“ Not I,” said Dr. HaUiday. “ It’s the only after- 
noon tea I ever attended that was a perfect success, to 
my mind.” 


CHAPTER XYIII 


THE admiral’s ACRES 

That was a strange evening for Haney and the 
Admiral ; when the little girl turned from the door to 
go back to the library she dreaded to face her grand- 
father ; but nothing was said of what had happened, 
any more than if it had not happened at all. The 
Admiral requested Haney to set out the chess-board 
on its little table, and until supper time he drilled her, 
severely, on his favorite game. 

Supper was a sober meal; Haney tried in vain to 
think of things to say which were not connected with 
their late guests, the town affairs, the Comptons, Aunt 
Sylvia, or Sylvanus — it seemed as if every topic led, 
directly or indirectly, to one of these dangerous pit- 
falls of conversation. 

“ Do you think the stars will be out to-night, grand- 
father?” she asked, desperately, at last, when the 
silence seemed to vibrate in her ears. 

The Admiral looked across the table at her, as if he 
had just recalled her existence. 

186 


The Admiral's Acres 187 

‘‘What did you say?” he asked, and Nancy 
quavered forth her question for the second time. 

The Admiral gave a grim smile. 

“ What is there to keep them in, Nancy ? ” he asked, 
and then something in the wistful little face made him 
relent. “Don’t try to entertain me, child,” he said, 
not ungently. “ I have a great deal to think over. I 
shall be ready to talk to-morrow, no doubt, and to 
listen.” 

There was a short evening, spent with the chess- 
board, and Nancy was glad when her grandfather 
swept the pieces from it, and told her to go to bed. 
She did not quite dare beg him to go early to bed him- 
self, though he kissed her good-night, and held her face 
between his palms for a moment, gazing earnestly at 
it, as if he were trying to read in it something he had 
never seen before. 

When Nancy went up-stairs to her room, she found 
Aunt Sylvia sitting there in the dark, rocking to and 
fro. 

“ I’s resting my bones,” she said as Nancy’s candle 
showed her, a weary old figure, but with a peaceful 
face. “ I’s done rub dat ’Yanus boy from his haid to 
his feet ; ’most a quart ob lin’ment an’ water, I reckon, 
I’s used up on him ; he was a pit’ful sight, my lamb, 


I 


i88 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

SO he was. You looked like a posey you’self in dat 
dressing delainey, honey. Come hyah, an’ I’ll un- 
hook it.” 

“ Aunt Sylvia,” said Nancy, as she sat down in her 
old mammy’s lap, with her back to the willing hands, 
“ Mrs. Carter called this a Dresden dress ; there is a city 
in Germany called Dresden, where she has been, and 
she says they make beautiful china and all sorts of 
things, with roses and other flowers tied with ribbon 
knots, just like the pattern of my dress; so I think 
perhaps we’ve made a little mistake in the name, don’t 
you ? ” 

Aunt Sylvia unfastened the last hook before she an- 
swered, and her voice was cool and decided when she 
spoke. 

“ Yo’ lady mother call dat pattern de ‘ dressing ’ pat- 
tern,” she said, “ an’ I calls it de dressing pattern ’kase 
ob dat reason, honey. If you wants to call it some 
new-fangled name. Aunt Sylvia hasn’t nuffin’ mo’ to 
say ’bout it.” 

“I shall caU it a dressing pattern, myself,” said 
Nancy warmly, for she saw that the mistake her 
mammy’s ears had made so long ago was fixed and 
dear to her now. “ I think it is a prettier name than 
Dresden, whether it’s right or not. Oh, Aunt Sylvia, 


The Admiral's Acres 


189 

I wish you might have seen Mrs. Carter’s scarf, that I 
mended for her. There were so many things happen- 
ing, that I forgot to ask Mrs. Carter to let you see it, 
and my work. It had to be a secret — but now I’ll tell 
you all about it.” 

Aunt Sylvia hstened silently, smoothing Nancy’s 
curls, but when the story was over she spoke. 

“ I saw dat scyarf,” she said slowly. “ When I made 
up my min’ to tell what I’d been doing, befo’ de com- 
p’ny went off, I jess stepped up-stairs, honey, to sit 
down in yo’ room a minute, an’ — an’ kind ob put some 
heart an’ courage into me. ’Twas jess befo’ you brung 
Mis’ Cyater up hyah to see it. Dat was a beautiful 
piece ob mending, my lamb.” 

“ Could you see where the tear had been. Aunt 
Sylvia ? ” asked Nancy ; “ of course you could.” 

“I didn’ take dat scyarf up into my hands,” said 
Aunt Sylvia, “ but I put on my glasses, an’ I s’arch it 
pretty thorough whar it lay, ’kase I ’magined what 
you’d been doing — an’ I couldn’t see de leastest speck 
ob evidences ob a mending place in dat scyarf; no, 
honey, true an’ honest, I couldn’t.” 

There fell a silence between them, but when Nancy 
was in bed she drew her mammy’s face down close to 
hers. 


190 The Admiral's L,ittle Housekeeper 

“ Oh, Aunt Sylvia,” she said, with a little catch in 
her breath, “ oh. Aunt Sylvia, how can I ever thank 
you — and Sylvanus ? ” 

“ ’Tisn’t no case fo’ t’anks, my lamb,” said Aunt 
Sylvia, as she brought the coverlet up and tucked it 
under ISTancy’s chin. “ iN'ow I’s told ’bout it, an’ don’t 
hab to be workin’ in de dark and cold no mo’, ’twill be 
jess play to me — ^an’ you can beat up some aigs fo’ de 
cakes now an’ den ; ’pears like my elbows ain’ what 
dey use to be — dey refuses to work quick like elbows 
ought to work. I’s gettin’ rich, honey — rich enough so 
you kin go to de city dis spring an’ hab some educations 
’longside ob Miss Marg’rite.” 

“ And what will you do while I’m away, if I go ? ” 
asked Kancy. 

“Me?” Aunt Sylvia straightened her back and 
laughed. “ Why, I’ll hab de easies’ time ob my life, 
honey, no hair to bresh, no dresses to hook up, no 
mending to do, no — don’ you ax me how I’s gwine get 
on, honey,” said Aunt Sylvia fiercely — “I is gwine 
get on, dat’s all ! ” 

The next morning when Nancy was dressed, she put 
on her red cape, and ran out to the barn. The horses 
had not enjoyed any “frisky time” that morning. 
Sylvanus was limping about, feeding them, and setting 


I 


The Admiral's Acres 


191 

things in order. Nancy walked straight up to him and 
held out her hand. 

“ Sylvanus, will you excuse me for being provoked 
with you, yesterday, about Jessie ? ” she said, looking 
up at him ; “ and I am so sorry you were hurt, and so 
much obliged for all you’ve done. You must take a 
good rest now. I will help Aunt Sylvia, and so will 
Betty — if grandfather says we may keep on with it — 
and you can drive down, instead of having to ride. 
Aunt Sylvia says everything except the buns can be 
made in the afternoon, and the buns she’ll have to give 
up, she thinks. You’ve been so good, Sylvanus.” 

“ Miss Nancy,” said the tall darkey, after a respect- 
ful shake of Nancy’s little hand, “ I was most gratified 
to give my contributings of time and energies in your 
service, and it has been a real beneficiary to me in the 
matter of early rising. I might say. Miss Nancy, that 
the habit I have formed in your behalfs has became al- 
most agreeable and natural to me. And as for my in- 
structings and light labor in Mr. Hobbs’s stable, 

why ” Sylvanus lifted his eyebrows, and waved 

his arm with what would have been an airy gesture 
if the motion had not made him wince with pain. 

“ I hurried off somewhat more in haste than usual,” 
he said when Nancy, full of sympathy, asked about 


192 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

his fall, “ and as I was hurrying back across the rails, 
the whole world seemed to rise itself into my counte- 
nance— and there I was, Miss Nancy, proned upon the 
tracks ! My mother has her opinions that it was a 
temporal faintness from lack of a morning meal.” 

“ That must have been it,” said Nancy. “ It’s a 
shame, Sylvanus ! And you, dear, you helped, too,” 
she said to the mare, whose head had been turned 
toward her, waiting for her greeting. “ I’m so 
grateful to you aU. Aren’t you proud of your niece ? ” 
she asked Mary Anne, who looked satisfied, to say the 
least. “ And Ezra, too ? For we’re all one family.” 

“ Ezra would have taken me if he could,” said Syl- 
vanus, who had a soft spot in his heart for the old horse. 

“Of course he would,” said Nancy. “I haven’t 
said half I mean, Sylvanus,” she added, “but you 
know how I feel, I’m sure. Now I must go in to 
breakfast.” 

Her grandfather did not look as if he had slept at 
all, but it seemed to Nancy that he had never been so 
gentle to her before, not even when he welcomed her 
back after her ride in the freight car. 

“ After breakfast, my dear,” he said to her, “ I want 
to have a long talk with you — and to ask your advice 
about certain important matters.” 



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The Admiral's Acres 193 

Nancy’s heart beat fast, but she tried to eat her 
breakfast quietlj, and after it, wait until her grand- 
father was ready to talk. He called to her at last ; 
as long as she might live, Haney would never forget 
that morning. The sun was streaming into the 
library, falling on the old chairs and lounges, showing 
all their shabbiness ; passing through a many-sided 
glass paper-weight on a small stand, it lay on the big 
table at which the Admiral sat, making spots of 
vivid color — rose and violet and gold, all the rainbow 
tints — on the papers which were spread before him. 

The Admiral began to talk quietly, and Haney 
listened, sitting close beside him in the small chair he 
had drawn up to his big one. 

“ Dr. Halliday tells me, what General Compton has 
told me before, and written me,” said the Admiral ; 
“ he says that you ought not to spend the year round 
in this house — and that if I were to go to the city, 
there is a sort of electrical treatment which would 
greatly help my rheumatism. So I’ve been thinking 
what we could do.” 

“ But, grandfather, what do they mean about the 
house ? ” asked Haney in bewilderment. “ I love 
every bit of it ! I don’t see how there could be a better 
place in the world ! ” 


194 The Admiral' s diittle Housekeeper 

The Admiral looked at her keenly, and yet sadly. 

“ That’s the way it has seemed to me, my dear,” 
he said, “ but they tell me you ought to be where 
there are other young people, and where you can see 
different things. I am old — but you are young. I’ve 
been thinking what we could do, Nancy. There’s very 
little money — but a way has been opened to get a 
large sum, and now that the minds of all in the house- 
hold are turned to making money, mine has turned 
too.” 

His words had a little sound of bitterness, but there 
was nothing bitter in the Admiral’s face as he looked 
at Nancy. He laid one of his hands over hers, as she 
was about to speak. 

“We won’t go over any of the troubles of yesterday 
again, Nancy,” he said, with a half smile at the little 
girl. “ I’ve learned my lesson, I think. ^I had been 
fancying that things were as they used" to be in the 
days when I was a boy. I had thought of you as the 
little chatelaine of our old house — and so you are — 
but you must not be a lonely or an ignorant little 
chatelaine, Nancy — we can’t have that — for the honor 
of the name,” and he raised his eyes to the portrait of 
a courtly ancestor of whom Nancy had heard many 
brave stories. 


The Admiral's Acres 


»95 


“The mill people wish to buy the parcel of land 
known as Broad Brook Meadows,” the Admiral went 
on, more cheerfully. “ See, here it is, Kancy, on this 
map of the estate. I don’t suppose I’ve seen it for ten 
years — but I used to fish there ; there are no such trout 
now as I used to catch.” 

Nancy looked at the name on the old map; she 
knew the place well, but it was not one of her special 
delights ; the brook was not her favorite brook, and 
she knew it was not Jack’s favorite either. She said 
so, not realizing that she spoke aloud. 

“That’s good,” said the Admiral in a persistently 
cheerful voice. “It’s a good many acres of land, 
Nancy, and they offer me several thousand dollars for 
it, so I think I will sell it to them at once — ^and then 
we can make our plans for going to the city — the 
sooner the better. I wrote a letter to General Comp- 
ton last night, and asked him to find a place for us to 
live in for three or four months.” 

Nancy’s brain was in a whirl ; she could not think 
clearly. “ Grandfather,” she said at last, trembling 
with eagerness, “ do you want to go ? and what will 
become of Aunt Sylvia and Betty and Sylvanus, and 
Jessie and ” 

“Those last questions we shall have to discuss at 


196 The Admiral' s Little Housekeeper 


length,” said the Admiral, “ but there must be some 
way in which they can all be arranged satisfactorily. 
Of course Aunt Sylvia must go with us — it would 
break her heart to be separated from you, I really be- 
lieve — and Jessie ought to go, I suppose, to prevent 
your heart from breaking.” 

He smiled at her so kindly that Haney had the cour- 
age to speak of an idea which had popped into her 
head. 

“ If Jack could come for a day or two, if we could 
take a holiday time,” she ventured, “he might ride 
with Jessie, grandfather, from here to the city, in that 
same freight car. Mr. Lord told me we could have it 
again, if we ever needed it.” 

“ That’s not a bad idea,” said the Admiral ; “ or bet- 
ter stiU, he might take her in the freight car to the 
Junction and ride her the rest of the way. He’d en- 
joy that. Then you and Miss Marguerite could ride 
together in that Park they so often mention. Dr. Hal- 
liday says it is one of the best sorts of exercise for 
you.” 

“ And about Aunt Sylvia’s shop, grandfather ? ” asked 
Haney in a very small voice. 

“ She didn’t look to me as if she intended to give up 
that source of pride,” said the Admiral grimly. “ Ar- 


The Admiral' s Acres 


197 


range that as best you can, my dear. And now go and 
amuse yourself ; we’ll have no lessons this morning. 
Tell Aunt Sylvia the news, and in an hour send her to 
me. My letters wdl be done by that time.” 

“ I think perhaps grandfather doesn’t mind going,” 
said Nancy, when she had poured out her surprising 
news to Aunt Sylvia, “ for you see his rheumatism will 
be helped, and he’U have so much time with the Gen- 
eral.” 

“ M-m,” said Aunt Sylvia. “ Dat mought be so, my 
lamb.” 

But 'when at the end of [an hour she walked into the 
library, she found what she had expected — an old man 
looking with sad, tired eyes at the map, his finger rest- 
ing on the spot marked in red ink, “Broad Brook 
Meadows.” 

Aunt Sylvia walked to the table, and stood before 
him, her arms akimbo, as she had stood many times in 
her younger days. 

“ Don’ you look like dat, Adm’ral ! ” she besought 
him ; “ you look up hyah, an’ talk to me like I deserves 
fo’ my upsushness — an’ you’ll feel bettah. Tell me I’s 
a contraptious ole woman, an’ ease yo’ heart — ’kase if 
you don’t, I’s gwine bust right out cryin’, an’ den 
whar’ll you be?” 


CHAPTER XIX 


A JOUKNEY BEGUN 

“ It beats all, the way things have fitted in right for 
the Beaumont Corners family, doesn’t it ? ” Mrs. Pot- 
ter said importantly to Mrs. Carter who stopped at her 
door a week later, in response to a frantically beckon- 
ing hand. “ I understand you’re going to take their 
Betty and train her. Mr. Potter brought home that 
news last night. I don’t recall where he heard it.” 

“ Yes, I’m to have Betty,” said Mrs. Carter, “ and I 
consider myself very fortunate. My own maid wishes 
to go home to her people for three or four months, as 
there is illness in the family.” 

“ Of course Betty isn’t what you’ve been used to,” 
said Mrs. Potter ; “ she’s sort of clumsy, to my mind, 
but she’s willing. Did you know ’Yanus is going to 
have our shed-chamber, and help Mr. Hobbs, and have 
those other two horses there ? ” 

“ Ezra and Mary Anne ? Yes, I’d heard,” laughed 
Mrs. Carter. “ Think of Jessie in the freight car.” 

“ You wait till you see it,” said Mrs. Potter ; “ it’s no 
ordinary car ; of course I’m not saying it’s quite up to one 
198 


199 


A Journey Begun 

of those new drawing-room cars such as you read of, but 
it’s a real credit to Potterville folks — I will say that.” 

“Mr. Lord showed it to me yesterday,” said Mrs. 
Carter, “ and he told me about Sylvanus and the early 
morning express trains ; it was really exciting to hear 
him describe it — the great rushing train coming through 
the darkness, slowing up just a little, enough for 
Sylvanus to reach up to the expressman, and for the 
great pasteboard box to change hands. But how in 
the world Sylvanus managed to carry the box into 
town behind him, on Jessie’s back, I can’t see. Nancy 
says it wasn’t heavy, but it must have been cumbersome. 
He tried to explain to me how it was strapped on, and 
‘most eventually safe, Mrs. Carter^ — but I couldn’t 
really understand.” 

“He explained the contrivance to me yesterday,” 
said Mrs. Potter, “and ’twas real clever, and safe so 
long as Jessie’s not given to stumbling ; but I guess he 
finds a carriage is considerable easier. I feel differently 
toward him from what I always have till lately ; as my 
husband says, supposing he does try to use high-flown 
language, and get a word wrong here and there, ’tisn’t 
language we live by — ’tis heart and actions, and his 
heart is certainly white as anybody’s,” said Mrs. Potter, 
becoming a little mixed, “ and his actions have been 


200 The Admiral's L,ittle Housekeeper 

what I call loyal. Of course, as Mr. Potter remarked, 
he won’t ever be so very up-and-coming, but then 
most folks have their drawbacks.” 

“ I suppose you’ll be at the station to see them off 
day after to-morrow?” Mrs. Carter asked, and Mrs. 
Potter nodded. 

“ I wouldn’t miss it for a good deal,” she said. I 
guess most of the town will be there, though they’ll 
keep in the background a mite, on account of the Ad- 
miral’s feelings — he don’t like display ; but we’ll all show 
our interest, and Mr. Lord has a basket that’s ’most full 
to the brim now of little things we’ve all contributed 
to make their journey pleasant ; the train isn’t exactly 
express — the one they’re going on, but ’tis a pretty quick 
one. Mr. Jack doesn’t start off in the freight car till an 
hour later. He asked me if I’d be there to ‘ press his 
hand and give him courage.’ He’s full of his jokes,” 
and Mrs. Potter smiled tolerantly. 

Two days later there were drawn up in front of the 
Beaumont house a low hung carriage on runners, into 
which Ezra was harnessed, and the old Beaumont 
sleigh to which Mary Anne was attached. There was 
also a pung in which were several trunks and boxes, 
with Johnny Kane to drive the livery stable horse. All 
the curtains were drawn down, on the ground floor of 


201 


A yourney Begun 

the old house, but up-stairs the sun was to be allowed 
free entrance. Aunt Sylvia, her head enveloped in two 
veils, went from room to room to see if all was well. 

Julia Frost was to accompany Nancy, in a box with 
peep-holes, made specially for her by Mr. Potter. 
Spick and Span had been taken to the Potter house, 
and were to earn their board by searching out some 
mice which had lately troubled the careful housekeeper. 

“ How they’ve got the best of me, I don’t know,” she 
she said to Nancy when she bespoke the kittens, “ but 
’twon’t be for long ! ” 

The rest of the live stock was to be looked after by 
one of the farmers who helped the Admiral at odd 
tunes by planting, ploughing and haying. 

“ I wish we could have taken two or three hens, so 
grandfather might have had fresh eggs every morning,” 
said Nancy regretfully, but Jack laughed and told her 
it would be difficult to accommodate hens in the cozy 
little apartment Mrs. Compton had secured for the Ad- 
miral’s household. 

Nancy said ‘‘ good-bye for a while ” to all the rooms 
and took a special farewell of the clock in the hall. 

“ Jack has wound you so you will go for two weeks,” 
she said, “ and after that you’d better take a good rest, 
you dear old thing, till we come home again.” 


202 The Admiral's Tittle Housekeeper 

At last the door opened, and out came the family. 
First the A dmir al, leaning on Jack’s arm, was escorted 
down the steps and into the carriage ; then Nancy took 
her place by his side. Mr. Hobbs was to drive them. 
Then came Aunt Sylvia and Betty, whom Sylvanus 
was to drive in the old sleigh. Aunt Sylvia sat 
heavily down in her many wrappings, and fixed her 
gaze on the hills, her back turned to the old house. 
Betty was sniffling, but in her eyes there was the light 
of agreeable anticipation, for all their red lids. 

Last of all came Jack, stepping briskly. He shut 
the big door with a clang, locked it, took out the key, 
and then gave the door a shake to make sure it was 
well fastened. 

“ All ready for the start, sir ? ” he asked his grand- 
father as he handed the old gentleman the key. 

The Admiral’s fingers closed over it, but he was 
silent for a moment, staring blindly at the old house. 
Then he looked down at Nancy, smiled, and put the 
key into her hand. 

“ Keep it safe till the day we come back home again, 
little chatelaine,” he said. “ All ready. Jack.” 


Another Story in this Series is: 

THE ADMIRAL’S GRANDDAUGHTER 


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